


Hogwartvengers: Year Six

by orphan_account



Series: Hogwartvengers 'Verse [6]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, The Avengers (2012)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Hogwarts AU, Hogwartvengers - Freeform, M/M, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-28
Updated: 2013-02-23
Packaged: 2017-11-22 18:11:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 16
Words: 51,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/612727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Another year older, but not quite another year wiser; the Avengers are back at Hogwarts and bringing chaos with them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Little Talks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thor knows there’s still something not quite right with Loki. He wasn’t expecting the answer he found.

Loki had been doing so, so well.

Five weeks of steadily repairing his fractured relationship with his brother — it was hard to ignore Thor when he became so determined, he was like an overgrown puppy — and he had been almost certain he was getting over his stupid infatuation. Yes, he still found Thor insanely attractive. Yes, he still had dreams about fucking him; and waking up next to him, and living with him, and _marrying_ him. But he was doing very well at pretending he didn’t. Thor hadn’t noticed, at any rate, and he was so very happy at having Loki pay attention to him again. Since they had read together the first night, it had become a habit of theirs to spend evenings in the library, much to the bafflement of Frigga and Odin. Loki was always surprised at how intelligent Thor could be when he wasn’t even trying, and bitterly mused that it was probably the same unexpected intelligence that attracted Jane Foster.

Either way, things had been going brilliantly, until Loki returned home from a week at Darcy’s, having assured his best friend that he was quite sure he was on his way to getting over Thor. It was an unseasonably hot day, the hottest they’d had all summer, and when Loki returned to the house it was to find both Odin and Frigga at work, and Thor nowhere to be found. Somewhat crestfallen at his lack of a welcome, Loki went to unpack his things, figuring he would find the blonde Gryffindor later, when it grew closer to lunch time. There was no way on earth Thor would stay out past lunch. 

His room was sweltering when he arrived, and Loki immediately crossed to open a window — and froze. There, in the sky above their expansive garden, was Thor on his broom. Shirtless, and most definitely close enough to give Loki a good eyeful. Loki’s spine tingled as he was hit with almost overwhelming lust, going from zero to hard in a split second. Mouth going dry, he couldn’t help but watch as Thor practiced his beater’s swing, the practice bludger zooming around him. The blonde’s tanned muscles glistened with sweat as he flexed and swung his bat hard at the offending object, sending it careening away towards the trees. There was a faintly purpling bruise on his shoulder that betrayed at least one missed shot, but he was beaming as he continued to work. Loki didn’t think he’d ever seen Thor quite so carefree as he was when he flew; it was breathtaking.

Suddenly aware of how creepy he was being, watching his half-naked adoptive brother practicing quidditch, Loki forced himself away from the window and shut the drapes firmly, to deter himself from looking again. Turning to his suitcase, he set about packing as he resolutely ignored the uncomfortable hardness tenting his trousers. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t pleasured himself to thoughts of Thor — most days, it was all he could think about — but somehow doing it at home, knowing Thor was just outside… it was too risky. 

By the time he finished unpacking, Loki just about had himself under control. Glancing at the clock, he frowned; no wonder his stomach was rumbling, it was long past lunch time. Slipping from his room, he wandered down the empty corridors towards the stairs, planning on getting a start on lunch. If he didn’t make something for Thor, the older teen would only end up eating his disgusting muggle snacks. Honestly, how he maintained his muscles when he seemed to mainline the sugary treats, Loki didn’t know.

Pulling some pans down to cook pasta, Loki hummed under his breath, wishing he’d brought his StarkPlayer down with him. Having friends in common with Tony Stark certainly had its advantages. Still, as he chopped up vegetables for the sauce, he was so engrossed in cooking that he didn’t notice when the back door opened. “Loki!” He almost chopped his finger clean off at the happy call, whipping around and trying very hard not to let his jaw drop. Thor was stood by the kitchen table, broom propped over his shoulder and shirt hanging off the end of it. Which meant he was still shirtless, muscles gleaming with sweat, his hair tied back out of his eyes. “You have returned! I didn’t know you would be so early; had I known, I would have waited for you to arrive before going out to fly.” He barely gave Loki a chance to drop the knife and step away from the cooker before he was striding forward, large arms outstretched. Loki was sure he made a faint squeaking noise as he was enveloped in a tight hug, all that bare skin and muscle pressing against him. He’d had dreams that went along these lines; though, admittedly, in those dreams he was also wearing far less clothing.

“Thor!” he exclaimed, voice somewhat strangled as he tried to angle himself away from the Gryffindor so his… reaction to the hug was unnoticeable. “You’re all sweaty!” Thor pulled away, smiling sheepishly in apology as he reached up a hand to untie his hair, tossing it out like a girl in one of the muggle hair adverts he’d seen on Darcy’s television. 

“Apologies, Loki. I am merely happy to see you,” he replied unashamedly. That was another thing; Thor had stopped calling him ‘brother’ over the summer. Loki didn’t know if it was a good sign or a bad one. “Did you have a good time at Lady Darcy’s?” Thor set his broom on one of the kitchen chairs and hopped up to perch on the table, legs swinging. Frigga would have smacked him for doing so were she home.

“I did, thank you. She sends her regards,” Loki replied, turning back to the pasta; mostly as an excuse not to stare at Thor’s naked chest. “I’m making enough for two, but you can only have some if you go upstairs and shower,” he told the older boy sternly, not needing to look to know Thor was pouting.

“Very well, very well. I shall return in but a few minutes.” There was a thump and a scuffle, before the sound of socked feet padding against the tiled floors and finally silence. Turning to make sure Thor was well out of earshot, Loki let out a long sigh, reaching down to adjust himself and stifling a moan as his fingers brushed the outline of his sensitive cock. Had he not promised to make lunch, he would be darting up to his room to take care of himself. Thor was truly going to be the death of him.

.-.-.

As much as the majority of the school seemed to think otherwise, Thor wasn’t stupid. He knew there was something bothering Loki, even despite their newfound closeness. He loved it, being able to spend time with Loki without worrying about offending or upsetting the younger boy, or being yelled at to go away. It was like when they had been younger, before Odin had told them that Loki was adopted, but… different. Better.

It hadn’t been easy, by any means. Loki had been as wary as a skittish colt, and twice as crafty in hiding himself away. Thor had spent the entire summer doing whatever he could to prove himself different from his father, standing up to the imposing man and taking more of an interest in the family business, figuring out how to improve it without keeping money back from those who deserved it. He thought he had surprised Loki when he’d gone to the Slytherin to ask for help making business plans he could implement as soon as he took over control of the company once graduating Hogwarts. It was a whole two years away yet, but… the sooner he started, the more prepared he would be.

Slowly, Thor had won back the trust of his adoptive brother, but even now there was something off with the Slytherin, something he was keeping back from Thor. It was exactly as Sif had predicted, and Thor yearned to know the dark-haired boy’s secret, wishing he could help with whatever it is Loki was dealing with. Was there something wrong with him? Surely he wouldn’t be like Steve, keeping a medical condition secret from them until it was almost too late. Loki would tell him if it was something dangerous.

Determined to at least attempt resolving things, Thor waited until late in the evening, after their parents were in bed. He knew Loki would still be up — the Slytherin always stayed up late — and padded down the corridor towards his brother’s room, keeping his footsteps as silent as he could. Knocking gently on the door, he waited for confirmation before pushing the door open, spotting Loki curled up in the loveseat by the window, reading. The black-haired boy looked up in surprise, brows furrowing as Thor shut the door behind them. “Thor? Is everything alright?” he queried, and Thor sighed.

“I’m not quite sure yet,” he admitted, running a hand through his hair. “May I sit?” He gestured to the edge of the bed, only a few feet from the window, and Loki nodded, setting his book aside. 

“Of course. What can I do for you at this late an hour?” Perching on the edge of his brother’s bed, Thor looked Loki square in the eyes, expression earnest.

“There is something not quite right with you, Loki,” he murmured, not entirely sure where to begin. “I am so very happy with how close we have grown this summer — I swear to you, nothing pleases me more — but… I still feel like there is some barrier between us. Something greater than every other hesitation you had about trusting me; something you keep so very close to your heart that it makes it very difficult for me to reach it.” He watched Loki tense, the teen’s blue eyes shuddering closed for a moment.

“Are you sure you’re not just imagining things?” he asked with a faint chuckle that held no humour. Thor frowned in frustration, shaking his head.

“We both know I’m not. Please, Loki, I understand if it is something you don’t trust me with yet, but… I only want to help. I can hardly bear this distance between us, even now, and it pains me to know that it exists when there may be something I can do to close it.” Loki snorted bitterly, shaking his head.

“Trust me, Thor; there is nothing you can do to close this gap. And if you knew, I doubt you’d want to,” he insisted, and the amount of self-loathing in his voice made Thor ache. Daringly, the blonde teen got to his feet, edging closer and perching on the arm of Loki’s seat. 

“I don’t believe that is your decision to make,” he murmured, resting a hand on Loki’s shoulder, thumb brushing the teen’s pale neck above the collar of his pyjama shirt. “How can you say there is nothing I can do when I don’t even know what ails you?” Loki tensed under his touch, eyes going wide, and the next thing Thor knew there were lips pressed firmly against his own.

He should have pushed him away. He should have ended the kiss before it could even started, should have told Loki that under no uncertain terms should he ever do that again. Of the long list of things he should have done at that instant, wrapping his arm around his adoptive brother’s back and pulling him closer was definitely not one of them. 

It was only when Loki’s tongue tentatively slipped out to prod at Thor’s lower lip that Thor realised what he was doing, pulling back in shock. Loki, still caught in the circle of his arms, stood like a deer in a lumos spell, wide-eyed and fearful. Before Thor could say anything, Loki’s shoulders slumped, and a sob shook his entire body, bubbling from his lips. “I’m sorry,” he gasped, voice already wet with unshed tears. “I shouldn’t have done that, I shouldn’t, I’m sorry, don’t hate me, just _forget_ , I won’t, I can’t—“ Thor’s eyebrows shot up in alarm as he recognised the beginnings of a panic attack, and he pulled Loki close to his chest, cradling him as he had when they had both been young, and the dark-haired boy had come to him after a nightmare or other such fright.

“I will always love you, Loki. You are my brother in all but blood, my friend… you have been with me through everything, even when you pushed me away,” he whispered strongly into the Slytherin’s ear, picking him up with ease and moving them both to perch on the end of Loki’s bed, where he could pull the slighter boy into his lap and hold him tightly, running soothing fingers through his hair. “Do not panic, my raven; I’m surprised, but I do not hate you. Just breathe; focus on my breath.” Moving Loki so his ear was pressed against Thor’s chest, he stayed quiet as he took several long breaths in and out, smiling as he saw Loki begin to breathe with him, tears still soaking through Thor’s pyjama shirt. 

“I’m sorry,” Loki said again once he had regained himself, eyes squeezed shut as he struggled feebly against Thor’s hold. “Pretend that never happened. Just… go back to bed, Thor, and wake in the morning as if this was all a dream. Or a nightmare, if you wish to look at it that way.” Thor bit his lip at the defeated tone of Loki’s voice, but didn’t make any move to release him.

“But how can I pretend it never happened when this changes everything?” he asked softly, more to himself than to the other boy. Of everything he had thought might be bothering Loki, this had never even been a brief thought. For Loki to have… feelings for him, he had never entertained the idea; why should he? As far as he had known, Loki hated him at the very least. How long had he thought about him romantically?

“It shouldn’t change everything,” Loki protested quietly, struggling a little harder in Thor’s grip, though to no avail. “Things were just fine how they were before I was so foolish as to… to kiss you.” Shame dripped from his words, and Thor couldn’t help but kiss his temple gently, leaning his head against Loki’s.

“If you think things were just fine, then you clearly have a strange perception of fine,” Thor retorted, fingers still tangled in Loki’s dark locks. “Rest assured, Loki; I do not hate you. I could never hate you, no matter how many times you kiss me, nor anything else you do. We have grown together, and I love you. Now sleep.” With a well-timed move from Thor, the pair of them were lying down on the bed, Loki still in Thor’s embrace.

“Thor!” Loki squawked in protest, arms flailing within the iron bands that were Thor’s biceps. “What are you doing? Go away!”

“What, and leave you to work yourself into a panic all night?” Thor retorted stubbornly, holding Loki with one arm while he used the other to awkwardly grab the blanket at the base of the bed, bringing it over them both. “I will do all I can to convince you that this changes nothing about what I think of you. Including stay with you now.” He shifted to get comfortable, leaving Loki half-sprawled against his chest, and murmured ‘nox’ to plunge them into darkness. The Slytherin looked up, meeting Thor’s gaze warily. 

“You didn’t push me away,” he whispered, tearful eyes glinting in the pale moonlight streaking through the window. Thor bit his lip; he needed to think about that himself before trying to give Loki an answer as to why.

“I’ll never push you away from me, Loki,” he said honestly. “Now sleep. We can talk more in the morning.” 

Thor stayed awake until Loki stopped crying silently and his breathing evened out as he fell into slumber. Finally trying to sleep himself, the Gryffindor found it came harder than expected, the feel of Loki’s lips on his burning like a brand as he tried to figure out what he was going to do. He appreciated Sif keeping Loki’s secrets, but could she not have given him some sort of warning?

.-.-.

Loki woke to a strange weight over his chest, and a harder surface than his usual pillow under his head. It was only after he cracked an eye open and saw a worn Gryffindor quidditch team t-shirt under his cheek that the memories of the night before came flooding back, and he froze, panic flooding his veins. How had he been so _stupid_? What had he been thinking, kissing Thor like that?

He scowled, wishing he could bang his head against something. That’s what he got, he supposed; it had just been late, and he had been tired, and Thor had been so _understanding_ , it had been hard to remember why it was such a terrible thing for him to know. Now, however, he wished he’d had a bit more control over himself.

Attempting to wiggle out of Thor’s solid embrace, he cursed silently when the arms tightened around him. “We need to talk, Loki.” Thor was awake. Of course. Craning his neck to meet the blonde’s eyes, Loki tried to ignore his stomach’s anxious churning. 

“There’s nothing to talk about,” he said feebly, making Thor frown, He shifted them until they were lying side by side, facing each other, Loki still pinned by Thor’s arm. 

“Loki, don’t be hasty,” Thor breathed, an imploring look in eyes that made Loki still, waiting to hear what he had to say, daring to hope it wouldn’t be terrible.

“Fine,” he agreed reluctantly. “Say your piece.” Moving Thor’s arm, he shuffled up to sit up against the headboard, and Thor immediately moved to sit up as well, going cross-legged opposite Loki. 

“You startled me, last night,” the blonde began, and Loki couldn’t help but snort. He’d gathered as much. “I… how long have you felt this way about me?”

“Months and months. Years, even.” He couldn’t really pinpoint the moment his feelings had changed; they had crept up on him so silently he began to wonder if they had always been there. Thor gaped, clearly surprised.

“So long, and you never said anything?” he wondered, making Loki scowl.

“What could I have said? I’m your little brother, Thor. I don’t need you to tell me how wrong I am.”

“There is nothing wrong with you,” Thor interrupted, so fierce that Loki was taken aback. “We are related by love and law, but not by blood; there is nothing immoral about the way you feel, and don’t you ever believe that there is.” Loki waited with bated breath as Thor clearly thought out his next words carefully, reaching out to lay a hand on Loki’s knee. “I could easily love you, you know,” he murmured, sounding almost awed. “Romantically, that is. I already love you platonically, and nothing will ever change that. You are… I don’t think you’ve ever realised how much you amaze me.” Loki couldn’t help but blush, ducking his head at the older boy’s words, and Thor smiled fondly. “It’s true. I was a little jealous of you when we were younger. You were so smart, so quick to understand even that which you were not meant to for several years yet. I often felt like the younger sibling, you outwitted me so easily. I never understood why you were so upset when your parentage was revealed; as far as I was concerned, we were brothers regardless of blood. I apologise for how long it’s taken me to stop being blind to how Odin treats you.” 

He squeezed Loki’s knee, and bit his lip in a way that filled Loki with dread. “I could easily love you,” he repeated, meeting Loki’s eye without hesitation. “And I am flattered that you feel that way about me. But… regardless of my feelings on the matter, I am not a free man when it comes to romance.” Loki’s heart turned to lead, and he swallowed thickly.

“Of course,” he murmured, hating how his voice cracked. “Your Lady Jane.”

“I love her, Loki,” Thor said plainly. “And I make no apologies for that. I only hope that you do not despise me for being unable to return your feelings.” Loki snorted, raising one dark eyebrow.

“I think my actions from last night prove that I could never despise you if I tried. Merlin knows I have.” Thor flinched at that, and Loki felt guiltily pleased. 

“I’m sorry, my raven,” Thor said softly, leaning forward in an attempt to hug Loki, and it was the Slytherin’s turn to flinch. He hadn’t heard that nickname since he was barely seven years old and Thor had welcomed him into his bed to comfort him after a nightmare. Odin had found them, and raged at Loki, insisting he was being childish and there would be no Thor to coddle him after the blonde went to Hogwarts. It was the last night Loki went to Thor for comfort, and the beginning of the gap that grew between them. 

“I want to be alone,” Loki muttered, pushing Thor away before he could become trapped in the hug. Thor’s arms dropped limply, and he nodded, a broken expression on his face that had Loki itching to reach out and soothe his woes, but he couldn’t.

“Of course. I… I’m going to go get breakfast.” Thor edged off the bed, heading for the door, and only paused for a moment before quietly leaving the room. Almost as soon as the door shut behind him, Loki brought his knees up to his chest and sobbed.


	2. Dogs are for Life, Not Just for Christmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone expected Tony to be the first one to make the transformation, or maybe Clint. Steve has a surprise for his boyfriend when they get back to school.

Steve sat on his narrow bed, staring at the ceiling in hopes of clearing his mind. There were only a couple of days left of summer, and he was eager to get back to Hogwarts. He’d spent half of the summer with Tony, and seen his friends plenty over the nine weeks, but… it would be nice to go back, and all be together properly again. And things were already looking to be so much more interesting when he went back; his Hogwarts letter had come with everyone else’s when he’d been staying at Tony’s, and brought with it two new badges. Prefect and Quidditch Captain, Steve Rogers. He’d been particularly astounded at the second one, sure it would have gone to Thor or one of the boys or even Peggy, all of them older and having been on the team longer than him. Bucky had pointed out that Steve was captain material more than any of them, and it would be better if he could get the hang of it soon because in two years almost all of their team would be graduating, and he’d have to replace them. Tony, with his own Quidditch Captain’s badge in blue and silver, had been so very proud. They’d hardly left the bedroom all day, in celebration.

At Hogwarts, he never found himself with nothing to do like he did at home. Although, strictly speaking, he wasn’t doing nothing; meditation was key to the animagus transformation, and he was _so_ close. Tony’s research had helped, the Ravenclaw having developed a potion to force the transformation once, so they knew how it felt. Still, the potion could only be used once, and as Steve had found out, there was a fair amount of work to do to repeat it. Luckily, the animagus transformation was wandless magic and therefore not detected by the Ministry. Not that it had mattered when he was at Tony’s — the older boy had wards up preventing magic detection — but now he was back home, he could still continue his attempts. He still had to be careful when he did it, or risk his mother finding him with dog ears or a tail. He’d managed almost every part of his body separately, but had yet to make the full transformation without the aid of Tony’s potion. He could feel it coming closer, though, and knew it would happen any day now.

None of the others had made their transformations yet, as far as Steve knew; though updates in the form of amusing pictures had been sent via text of almost every single one of them, depicting the person in question with some sort of animal appendage. Pepper with a squirrel’s tail had been his favourite. Steve doubted he would be the first to transform when so many of the others were older and more skilled than him, but his magic had done nothing but surprise him since the serum; he hoped this may be another instance in which it pulled through. 

Growling in frustration, he shifted to try and get comfortable, sitting up and leaning back against the wall, his legs crossed. Shutting his eyes and attempting to block out the noise of the city outside, Steve attempted to slip into that calm, controlled part of his inner mind that allowed him to access his animagus form. It was harder than he’d expected, to stay relaxed and undistracted for so long. He knew he wasn’t the only one struggling to reach the meditative state; Bucky had spent many hours complaining to him about it. 

The best thing Steve could liken it to was the mindset he got when flying; the state of mind in which he completely forgot everything but what was happening in the air. Unfortunately, with the animagus transformation, it didn’t even give him that to concentrate on. All he had was blankness, and the hope that he might come across at least a part of his animal form. No doubt once they all got back to school, transformations would be happening left right and centre, and Steve didn’t want to be the last one.

Biting his lip as he tried to concentrate, Steve forced himself not to be distracted by the itch in his knee, or the buzzing in his ears. Trying to find his magical core, he kept his breaths long and shallow, feeling anticipation well up in him as he got closer and closer to the necessary meditative state. When it happened, it startled him.

The world began to spin, and he couldn’t help but open his eyes, alarmed when everything was in shades of black and white. He felt uncomfortable, sprawled haphazardly on his bed, and when he tried to right himself he flailed even harder. Cursing under his breath, his eyes went wide at the growl that escaped his lips instead. He tried to sit up once more, and finally realised why it wasn’t working; he had paws. Four of them, to be exact, and they were sinking into the squishy mattress whenever he tried to move. His heart thudded furiously in his ribs, and Steve attempted to use all four of his legs to push himself up. He fell off the bed rather than jumped off, landing in a heap of fur on his carpet, but he was too excited to care.

It took several attempts before he was stood on four legs, wobbling slightly, and each step was like running a marathon; whatever the books had said about moving the animal form coming naturally, they lied. He felt like Bambi on ice. Eventually, however, he managed to make it to the floor-length mirror on the front of his wardrobe door, and he fell into a sitting position as he couldn’t help but stare. He was a German Shepherd alright; a huge one, with large soulful eyes and a smooth coat. Steve wished he could see in colour so he could get a proper look at himself, but supposed it would have to wait until he could get someone else to take a picture of him. He yearned to draw his animal form, to study the dog in detail, but that would be impossible. Unless he asked Tony, who seemed to take ‘impossible’ as a personal challenge. 

Getting shakily to his feet, Steve padded closer to the mirror, turning to get a better look at himself. He barked in laughter when his tail began to wag without his consent, and was glad he was home alone when he realised how loud he was. He had better work on that, or the neighbours wound complain. Pets weren’t allowed in their building. Stepping in awkward circles to try and see every part of his new body from as many angles as possible, Steve fell onto his side with a soft thump. Okay, that would take some work to get used to. Glancing up at the clock, he panicked when he realised his mom would be home soon; if she came home to find him missing and a dog in his room, she’d freak.

Jumping back up onto the bed with about as much grace as a newborn foal, Steve tried to descend into the meditative state once more, valiantly ignoring the worry that he wouldn’t be able to, that he’d be stuck as a dog forever. He’d never transform back if he couldn’t calm down. 

Steve was unsure of how much time passed, but eventually the world spun once more, and he found himself lying on his bed, decidedly human again. He let out a long breath of relief before a wide smile overtook his face, and he whooped quietly in triumph. He’d done it! Unaided by the potion, he’d transformed completely into his animal form! 

Sitting up, Steve frowned when he heard the front door creak open and his mother call out a greeting; anything more would have to wait. But he had three days before heading back to Hogwarts; three days in which to work on switching smoothly between human and dog, ready to surprise Tony when he saw him next. Getting to his feet, feeling strange to be back on two legs, he added ‘walking as a dog’ to his mental to-do list. It wouldn’t be very impressive if he transformed in front of Tony, only to fall on his butt as soon as he tried to take a step.

.-.-.

It was the second day back at school before Steve got the chance to show Tony the progress he’d made. The first day back had been full of greeting friends he’d not seen in a while, eating far too much food and making out with Tony in the Ravenclaw dorms until Bruce got fed up and threw a pillow at their heads to get them to knock it off. Now, however, the first day of lessons were over, and Bruce was down in the lab for the rest of the evening working on some potions project he’d started at Tony’s over the summer. Steve knew better than to ask. 

“Come on, Tony, I’ve got something I want to show you,” the Gryffindor urged, tugging on Tony’s hand impatiently as they headed towards the Ravenclaw dorms. Tony smirked, winking at him.

“What could you possibly have to show me in private that’s so important?” he teased, reaching out to squeeze Steve’s ass playfully. “I’ve seen it all before. Though that is definitely not a complaint if you want to show it to me again,” he added, smirk widening when Steve blushed.

“It’s nothing like that,” he insisted, embarrassment clear in his face. “Just… come on. I’ll show you when we get to the dorm room.” Tony rolled his eyes, solving the statue’s riddle, and the pair of them went straight up to the sixth year boys’ dorm. Despite having only been there a day and a half, Tony’s side of the room already looked like a bomb had hit.

“What’s this big surprise you’ve got, then, handsome?” Tony asked with raised eyebrows, perching on the edge of his bed and making teasing grabby-hands towards Steve’s waist. Steve huffed, rolling his eyes and stepping into the centre of the room.

“Close your eyes,” he instructed. “No peeking.” Tony frowned, but did as asked, shutting his eyes tightly. Steve shut his own eyes, taking a deep breath as his mind went to the now familiar place needed to transform. He’d worked tirelessly on reaching the right state, and the more he did it, the easier it became.

Managing not to land in a heap after the abrupt change from two legs to four, Steve looked up at where Tony was still sat on the bed, eyes closed and knee bouncing impatiently. “Can I look yet?” he whined, and Steve grinned, barking once. Tony jumped, eyes opening, and his jaw dropped when he saw what his boyfriend had done. “Oh… Merlin. Steve, is that you? You did it?” Steve barked again, nodding in affirmation, and Tony beamed, practically throwing himself to the floor to wrap his arms around Steve’s neck, ruffling his fur. “That’s amazing! I’m so freaking proud of you!” He leant back, then smirked, rubbing at Steve’s head. “Who’s a good boy? Who’s a good boy? You are! Yeah you are!” Steve growled lightly at the mocking tone, butting Tony’s wrist with his nose, and the Ravenclaw laughed. “Seriously, Steve, this is so awesome. God, let me get a look at you!” 

Steve obediently turned at Tony’s command, tail wagging happily as Tony’s hands ran over his sides and back. He had to admit, being petted felt _really_ nice. “You are just too adorable, y’know that? My god, you’re like an overgrown puppy.” Steve snorted out a growl, rolling onto his back, and Tony laughed as he gave him a belly rub, Steve’s leg twitching in pleasure. “I am going to have _way_ too much fun with this. I always wanted a dog, but Dad never let me.”

Eventually, Steve got back to his feet, licking at Tony’s face to make the older teen splutter. “Hey, quit it!” Tony protested, laughing. “Can you change back? Actually, wait, hang on a second.” He stood up, pulling his phone from his pocket. “Smile for me, honeybear.” Steve sat down, giving a wide doggy grin, and Tony snapped a photo, no doubt texting it around their friends. “The others are gonna be so jealous, I know Clint thought he’d make the transformation first. You can change back now,” he added. Steve shut his eyes once more, and after a few seconds was back to his human form, getting to his feet.

“So, what do you think?” he asked, grinning. Tony raised his eyebrows at him.

“What do I think? I think my boyfriend is too damn talented for his own good, that’s what I think!” Tony’s expression was playful, and he stepped closer to wrap an arm around Steve’s waist. “I wanted to be the first to transform!” Steve couldn’t help but laugh at the whining tone to his boyfriend’s voice, leaning down to kiss him.

“I’m sure you’ll transform soon,” he soothed. “It’s really pretty easy once you get the hang of it. I managed to hold it overnight a couple of nights ago.” He was glad his mom had taken the early shift, or she would have walked in on him asleep as a dog. 

“You’re amazing,” Tony told him with a proud smile, kissing him once more. “And, y’know, if you wanted to show me that _other_ surprise,” he drawled, one hand working at Steve’s belt to make it very clear what he was referring to. “Bruce won’t be back for hours.” Steve chuckled, turning them around towards Tony’s bed and stepping out of his trousers on the way, fingers working nimbly at Tony’s shirt buttons. The Ravenclaw’s phone was bleeping non-stop, no doubt with texts from their friends commenting on Steve’s transformation, but… it could wait.


	3. Coming Clean, Letting Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They say if you love someone, let them go. Jane can’t help but wonder if he’ll ever come back.

Before long, everyone was so firmly settled in at Hogwarts it was like they had never left. Very little had changed — the eldest of their group had a lighter class schedule but more work as they began their NEWT work, and four more prefects joined their ranks to no one’s surprise — and Jane was still amazed at how, after five years, it felt more like home than her actual home did. She was much more comfortable hanging in the Gryffindor common room with her friends or experimenting with Bruce and Tony down in the labs than she ever was with her parents. 

This was one such situation, though she wasn’t as comfortable as she usually was. Sitting with Thor in the library was never usually a problem for her; the only problem she had was keeping him focused enough to actually work. Darcy was with them, though she was happily entertaining herself with the games on her Starkphone, her headphones in to give them some semblance of privacy. As much as Jane had complained and grumbled over the years about Thor’s wandering hands when she was trying to study, she found herself missing it when the blonde Gryffindor kept his hands politely on the desk, a quill gripped gently in one as he wrote. Jane wasn’t the suspicious type of girl, and she was usually pretty laid back, but Thor had been a little stand-offish ever since they’d returned for sixth year. He hadn’t greeted her as enthusiastically as he usually did — like they’d been parted for years instead of days or weeks — and was far more reserved about his displays of affection, which was most unlike him. Not only that, but they’d hardly had any alone time in the three weeks they’d been back, and hadn’t spent the night together once. 

Jane sighed to herself, tucking her hair behind her ear and looking back down at her textbook. He’d been busy; they both had. NEWTs threw all of them in at the deep end, and while she was smart enough to understand the work without problems, the sheer quantity of work expected was keeping her busy. Thor had even more to do on that front, despite having one less class than her, and he had quidditch practice on top of that. Not everybody could be Tony Stark, who was taking twice the recommended amount of NEWTs, running SI (with Pepper’s help) and captain of the Ravenclaw quidditch team, and still had time to be sickeningly adorable with Steve every ten minutes. Honestly, the pair were practically married by now, despite being the newest couple in their group. Jane was a little jealous, to be honest. Between those two and the horribly in love, cohesive unit that was ClintandPhil, she couldn’t help but be insecure about the stability of her own relationship. 

But either way, it was probably nothing.

.-.-.

It was a Saturday, and for once Thor didn’t have quidditch practice for most of the day; probably because Tony had been bugging Steve about wanting a Saturday lie-in pretty much as soon as they’d gotten back to school, and Steve had relented like the spineless, lovestruck fool he was. Not that Jane was complaining. Having her boyfriend free on a Saturday morning was too good an opportunity to pass up. 

After a late breakfast, Jane excused herself from the Ravenclaw table with a promise to come science with Bruce and Tony that afternoon — apparently using ‘science’ as a verb was contagious — and went to squeeze herself between Thor and Sif, kissing her boyfriend’s cheek with a smile, uncaring that it was bulging with pancake at the time. “Lady Jane!” Thor greeted once he’d swallowed, pressing a chaste, syrup-sweet kiss to her lips. “What brings you to my side this glorious morning?”

“I was wondering if you wanted to hang out for a while. Maybe go for a walk around the lake or something, before the weather gets too crappy to ever go outside. What do you say?” she asked with raised eyebrows, stealing a slice of banana off the edge of his plate.

“That sounds most enjoyable,” he confirmed, smiling, though Jane couldn’t help but notice that his heart wasn’t in it quite as much as usual. Pushing her unease away, she turned to talk to Sif while she waited for Thor to finish his meal, surprised that the younger girl was up so late. She usually rose early, even on weekends, but apparently an essay had kept her up late. 

When Thor’s plate was clean, the pair of them bid goodbye to their friends and made for the entrance hall, Jane’s arm slipping around Thor’s hips. His rested comfortably over her shoulders, though when she looked up at him he wasn’t looking at her, or even where they were going, preferring to stare aimlessly into the sky, expression thoughtful. “So what’s up with you, anyway?” she asked when they were far enough from the castle to be considered alone. Thor blinked, snapping out of his thoughts, and arched an eyebrow in enquiry. 

“I beg your pardon?”

“You’ve been acting weird,” she replied bluntly. “Not like, really weird, but weird enough for me to notice. Less… enthusiastic. Mostly about me. Did I do something wrong?” The stricken look that crossed his face was proof enough that she’d struck a nerve, and apprehension began to pool like acid in her stomach.

“You have done nothing, my lady; I cannot stress that enough.”

“Then did _you_ do something wrong?” she asked, brow furrowed in confusion. Thor swallowed convulsively. “Oh, Merlin, what happened?” Had he cheated on her? Were his parents making him go to Durmstrang? Had they threatened to betroth him to some pureblood girl?

“I… I am still unsure how I feel about it,” Thor began, removing his arm from her shoulders in order to look her in the eye. “Bear with me, my lady, please. I have been trying to figure out how to tell you, but I do not think there’s any easy way to say it.”

“To say what?” Jane pressed, dread rising. She tried not to show her panic, but the look on Thor’s face was definitely not reassuring. Suddenly, she was wishing she’d kept quiet; whatever it was, she probably didn’t want to know. But it was too late now, and not knowing wasn’t an option. “Just tell me, Thor. I promise not to react until you’ve explained yourself.”

“I found out why Loki has been avoiding me all these months,” he told her, making her blink in confusion.

“I thought you said you two were getting along now?” He’d been so happy in the summer when they’d video-called, telling her about how much time he was spending with his brother now. She’d hardly seen the Slytherin since school had started back, but that wasn’t unusual. Loki kept to himself, except for Darcy.

“We were, to an extent. But then… I pushed when I probably shouldn’t have. There was still a gap between us, and he was bothered by something. But when I asked… he kissed me.” There was surprise in the blonde’s voice, like he still couldn’t believe it had happened, and Jane gaped.

“Kissed you? Like, on the lips?” Thor nodded, making her eyes go round in astonishment. Loki had a _thing_ for Thor? “But… he’s your brother. He’s two and a half years younger than you; he’s _fourteen_. He might be adopted but he’s still your _brother_ , God, Thor!” She looked up at him, and a sickening sense of realisation hit her at the look on his face. Sort of guilty, sort of yearning, but a lot ashamed. “You kissed him back, didn’t you?” It was more of a statement than a question, resigned instead of accusing. His eyes had grown dimmer with every reason she’d listed as to why Loki shouldn’t like Thor, why a relationship between them would be bad news, but there was nothing on his face that said he agreed with her. 

“I… I could not push him away. He is Loki, and I have loved him for the fourteen years I have known him, without fail. Even this cannot make me stop.” Jane stifled a sob; that was answer enough for her, she supposed. 

“Maybe… maybe it would be best if we broke up,” she said, having to practically force the words out. Thor’s eyes went wide, and he gripped her shoulders almost hard enough to hurt.

“Jane! Please, I may not have pushed him away but I did not encourage him, and I told him that we could not be together because I am in love with you! I can never apologise enough for my infidelity, small as it may be, but _please_ do not punish me so harshly!” he begged, blue eyes beginning to shine with tears. 

“I know you love me, and I love you!” Jane insisted, “but sometimes… sometimes that’s not enough. Can you honestly tell me that, if it were a choice between Loki and me, that you wouldn’t pick him every time? If you could only have one of us in your life.” Thor’s mouth opened and closed as he sputtered like a goldfish.

“But-but Loki is my brother! It is different!” That told her everything she needed to know, really.

“Is it really? Because he doesn’t sound like a brother when you talk about him!” she argued, a little more spitefully than she’d intended. “You don’t talk about him the same way you do about Fandral and Volstagg and Hogun, and you always said those three are as much your brothers as Loki!” Stopping herself — she did still love Thor, and getting angry would only hurt both of them — she took a calming breath, squaring her shoulders and shrugging his hands off. “This isn’t because he kissed you, Thor,” she assured evenly. “I don’t blame you for that. And I don’t blame you for not pushing him away; you didn’t want to hurt his feelings. But I think we should break up because I don’t think you’re as emotionally committed to me as you are to Loki. Even if you don’t like him romantically… knowing he’s in love with you and knowing you’d go to his side in a heartbeat if he needed you, even if I needed you as well… I can’t cope with that. And I’m sorry. I do love you, Thor. I will always love you, and maybe one day we can get back together, if… if Loki ever gets over his feelings. But until then, I just _can’t_ , and I hope you don’t think less of me for it.”

“Jane, _please_ ,” he begged once more, crying in earnest now, and she leaned up for one last kiss. His stubble scratched her cheek, and he still tasted a little of syrup and bananas. Tears escaped her eyes as she pulled away, but she determinedly wiped them away. 

“I’m sorry, Thor. But look at it this way; if the only thing stopping you from considering Loki as a boyfriend is the fact that you already have a girlfriend, maybe you don’t love him as platonically as you thought. Just think about it. And… please don’t hate me. I’ll stay away from Gryffindor for a while, but we can’t avoid each other forever, and I really don’t want to have to.” Thor looked even more stricken at the prospect of avoiding her, and he nodded quickly.

“We are still friends,” he assured her. “But… yes, it would probably be best if we stick to our respective houses for the while. Are you sure I cannot change your mind?” Jane swallowed the sob that rose when his face was not as hopeful as his voice, and turned away.

“No, no. This is for the best. I’ll… I’ll see you around, Thor.” She started walking before he could pull her back and convince her to stay with him, which she would if he tried hard enough to. Tears fell onto the already damp grass as she walked, and her shoulders heaved as she took long shuddering breaths. She tried to convince herself that she wasn’t completely devastated, but that was a lie; she had honestly thought she and Thor would be together forever. She’d thought they’d be like Clint and Phil, who were destined to get married straight out of Hogwarts and be together forever. She’d thought they were one of those couples who would make it out of high school, instead of crashing and burning, but she supposed that was what all the adults said about teenage relationships; even when you thought yourself in love with someone, you probably weren’t. Except she was. Her love wasn’t the problem; Thor’s, on the other hand, was probably already directed more towards a dark-haired Slytherin fourth year, even if he didn’t know it yet.

Jane started up through a shortcut towards the Ravenclaw tower, hoping Bruce and Tony weren’t hanging out with Steve still. She could really do with some support from people likely to rationalise and understand why she’d done what she’d done. At least with Tony, it was an honest fifty-fifty split on whether he would choose Bruce or Steve. He was the type of guy to just say screw the rules and demand both. Unfortunately, none of them would survive if Thor tried to keep both her and Loki, she knew that now. 

Besides, no one did comfort-eating and cuddles like Tony Stark.


	4. Lion's Den

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With all the Gryffindors in their group having a quiet night in the common room, Sif is very aware that Thor is the quietest of all. Sometimes, she wonders what her boys would do without her.

It was surprisingly quiet in the Gryffindor common room, even for a weeknight. It was ten at night, and the room was empty aside from the group of fifth and sixth years gathered around the fireplace. Sif glanced over at Thor, who was a quiet participant in the conversation, so unlike his usual self. Their entire group had been a little rocked by his and Jane’s breakup, despite it seeming fairly amicable. Both of them insisted that sides were not to be taken, and things would go back to normal soon, but… they had been together for over a year. It was different to when Peggy and Bucky had broken up, their relationship only lasting several weeks, and there was nothing to distract them all like there had been after Pepper and Natasha had ended things. The news was steadily filtering through the school, with most giving Thor and Jane a wide berth — not including the greedy-eyed girls who were already trying to take advantage of Thor’s return to single-ness — though every now and then someone made a passing remark, unaware that the couple were no longer together, and Thor and Jane would both crumble.

Still, Sif couldn’t help but notice that Thor’s silence seemed less morose than she’d expected, and more thoughtful and introspective. She didn’t know what was going on in his mind, but had confidence that he’d come to her if he wanted her to know. She turned back to their group with a small smile, asking Hogun to repeat his question. 

They took up rather a lot of space, with all the chairs and sofas gathered around the roaring fire. Even Steve was with them for once, after Bucky had mock-whined one too many times about how he was never to be found in his own common room anymore. Sif couldn’t really blame him for spending most of his time with Tony, but it was nice to have him around again. He was curled up in an armchair, drawing quietly and occasionally interjecting when he had some input into the conversation. He was drawing in his red sketchpad, so none of them asked to see what he was drawing. The red sketchpad was his private one; the Gryffindor keeper had thrown a small fit when Peggy had opened it out of curiosity, only to find pages of rather… intimate drawings. Mostly of Tony, yes, but also art of all of them, captured in moments that Steve always felt a little embarrassed about wanting to draw. Moments when the subject would have their guard down; even if nothing about the picture itself was lewd or explicit, Steve still didn’t like them all looking at it; if he wanted anyone to see it, he’d give it to the subject when he was finished with it. And there were still too many sketches of Tony Stark’s naked body for any of them to ever be comfortable touching it. While Steve’s blue sketchbook was fair game to be flipped through at leisure, no one asked to see the red one. 

Peggy was on the floor leaning up against Steve’s chair, her feet resting in Bucky’s lap. The largest sofa was taken up by Thor, Fandral and Volstagg, while the other held herself and Hogun. If not for the melancholy air about Thor, it would have been a lovely evening to just have the Gryffindor contingency together for once. They spent plenty of time as an entire group in the Room of Requirement, and even at the age of fifteen Sif could hardly rid herself of the boys for more than ten minutes at a time, but rarely did the two sections of their group — her, Thor and the boys, and Steve, Peggy and Bucky — come together like this. 

Looking back down at her half-written essay, Sif sighed and set her quill down, giving in for the night; she was hardly likely to write anything of worth with her brain so otherwise occupied. “You okay, Sif?” Bucky asked, craning his neck to look up at her. “That was an awful big sigh.” She smiled at him, reaching out to briefly card her fingers through his hair in assurance.

“I’m fine,” she promised. “Just growing weary of Arithmancy.” He snorted.

“I could’ve told you that was gonna happen. I still don’t know why you picked it. I mean, I get you’re a brainiac and everything, but still, _Arithmancy_?” Sif couldn’t help but laugh at the confusion in his tone. 

“It’s a useful subject,” Peggy piped up, and Bucky rolled his eyes.

“You’re taking a NEWT in it, of course you’d say that.” Sif smiled at the familiar playful bickering between the two, exactly the same as before they’d dated, both of them firmly moved on. Peggy was seeing some Ravenclaw in the year above, and Bucky was back to his habit of going through any girl that wanted him. It was strange having one of their group properly dating someone outside of it, but it was bound to happen eventually. Not all of them could keep it in the family, so to speak. 

“It’s getting late,” Hogun declared, looking around with a faint frown. “And everyone but me has quidditch practice in the morning. We should go to bed.”

“Yes, I suppose you’re right,” Peggy agreed, looking at her watch. She reached up, gently tapping Steve’s knee, breaking him out of his sketching focus. “Time for bed, Steve.”

“It’s that late already?” the blonde asked with raised eyebrows, surprised. At Peggy’s nod, he flipped his sketchbook closed and put it back in his bag, stretching as he got to his feet.

“Are you heading back to Ravenclaw, or will you actually spend the night here for once?” Bucky asked with a smirk, making Steve blush.

“No, I’m staying here for the night, I already told Tony I would.”

“Sif, would you mind helping me put my books away?” Thor queried, an earnest look on his face as everyone else rose around him, and Sif didn’t hesitate to nod. The rest of the group bid their goodnights and went upstairs, until Sif and Thor were the only ones left.

“What ails you, my friend?” Sif asked, moving to sit beside Thor. She did help him put his books away, but there really weren’t that many, and it was clear that wasn’t his true intention in asking for her help.

“I know Loki’s secret,” he admitted easily, and Sif tensed. “I should have listened when you told me not to push him, but I was concerned, and… he kissed me. In the summer, in his bedroom.” Sif listened carefully as her friend explained everything that had happened, right up until his breakup with Jane. “I do not know what to do from here, I admit. I still love Jane, but… she told me to reevaluate what I think I feel for Loki. I have tried, though it still feels like I am betraying her.”

“Well, how do you feel about him?” she asked simply, sliding an arm around his broad shoulders. “Jane is not part of the equation anymore. All that matters are your feelings for Loki, whatever they may be.”

“But I have no idea what they are!” Thor protested, shaking his head. “I have always loved him as I was told to love him; as my brother. I never even considered that love taking another form until… until now.” Sif frowned, squeezing him gently. She needed to make sure that whatever happened, Thor was absolutely certain in his feelings. It wouldn’t do him nor Loki any good for him to rush things without thinking about it, or ignore things out of propriety. But if Thor truly could love Loki back in the way he wanted… Sif supposed it couldn’t hurt to nudge them along a bit. She loved Jane, but Thor and Loki deserved each other. 

“But now you are reconsidering?” she presumed, and Thor nodded, leaning into her.

“I don’t want to hurt him, Sif. Whatever comes of this, I never want to hurt Loki.” His voice was deadly serious, and Sif smiled at him.

“I know that, Thor. Which is why you should take your time with this; think carefully about how you feel about him. Don’t be too hasty, and do not agree to anything until you are absolutely sure it’s what you want. The last thing you want is to lead Loki on,” she mused. He nodded, looking thoughtful.

“Yes, I would never want to do that. I… I shall wait, for now. Mourn my relationship with Jane before I consider beginning a new one, and with Loki for that matter. It would not be fair on him for me to date him ‘on the rebound’, as Bucky calls it.” At his words, something eased in Sif; of course Loki would be safe in Thor’s hands. How could she ever doubt otherwise? 

“That sounds like a good plan; give yourself enough time to figure out whether you love Loki romantically as well as platonically. Though, forgive me for being forward, but… it sounds like you have already made up your mind.” Thor blushed, but a smile flickered across his face.

“I suppose I have, in many ways. But Loki is flighty, and prone to running at loud noises. It will take an age to get close enough without making him bolt,” he pointed out, sounding somewhat morose.

“But are you willing to wait that age?” Sif asked, eyebrows raised. Thor met her eyes easily, a determined expression on his face. 

“Without a doubt.”

“There’s your answer, then,” she replied, grinning. Her two friends would have a happy ending if it killed her. “Just be gentle with him, and eventually it will be worth it.” Thor gave her an amused look, bumping her shoulder with his.

“My lady, it is already worth it.” He leaned in to kiss her cheek, then got to his feet. “Goodnight, and thank you for the advice. Hopefully by the time Loki is willing to spend time with me once more, my thoughts will be more in order.” With that, he went up to bed, leaving Sif alone in the common room. She shook her head, a fond smile at her lips. It was easy to forget just how intelligent Thor could be without even trying. One day, he might just stop surprising her.


	5. Three's Company

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After an offhand comment from Clint, Steve starts thinking about something he previously didn’t dare to. Luckily, the archer is there to help.

Steve absently batted away the foam ball that sailed towards his head, giving Clint an annoyed look. “We’re meant to be studying,” he pointed out, gesturing to the books and parchment spread out over the table. They’d been paired together in a Potions project, and Clint had spent most of their time together trying to bug Steve into asking Tony to do it for them. Steve refused, both because it was cheating, and because Professor Pym would definitely recognise Tony Stark’s work. 

“But it’s boring,” Clint protested, hanging upside-down from a bar of the elaborate climbing frame the Room of Requirement had provided for him. “Can’t we just hang out for a while and do it later?” Steve rolled his eyes, a smile tugging at his lips as Clint shot him a pleading look. 

“Fine, fine.” He gathered up his parchment and shoved everything back in his bag, propping socked feet up on the table. “How’s stuff with you? I haven’t seen you much since school started back other than in group stuff.” Clint swung neatly down off his frame, landing on graceful feet and hopping over the edge of the couch, sinking into the comfortable cushions. 

“I know, but I’ve been kinda busy. And Phil’s taking this whole prefect thing to a new level; I keep telling him he needs to delegate now that he’s not the youngest in the group, but he doesn’t listen. Hell, Rhodey has offered a dozen times to take over some of his duty hours. Those little brat first-years are the biggest cockblocks ever,” he grumbled, making Steve laugh.

“I wouldn’t know; Bucky covers my duty hours half the time, even though he’s not a prefect. But most have learned to just find me during class hours as I’m not likely to be in the tower at night,” he reasoned, blushing at the smirk on the Hufflepuff’s lips. “Oh, shut up, like you don’t spend every night in Phil’s bed.” Clint winked, tucking his feet up underneath him.

“I never said I didn’t,” he agreed. “Tasha keeps telling me I should start spending some nights away from him, because we’ve only got a little under two years until he graduates and I’m still here, but… damn, I can’t sleep when he’s not around!” Steve bit his lip, understanding the archer’s frustrations. After all the upheaval with Thor and Jane, it was kinda nice to talk to someone who, like Steve, knew without a doubt that they’d be with their partner past graduation. No one in the entire school could imagine Clint and Phil ever splitting up. 

“I know how you feel. When you say it like that it seems like it’s ages away, but last year went so quickly. They’ll all probably be graduating before we can blink.” He paused, then gave Clint a grin. “Can you imagine this school without Tony Stark?” Clint laughed, shaking his head.

“The staff will probably throw a party the day he graduates. But damn, it’ll be quiet around here.” Then he frowned, running a hand through his hair. “Anyway, enough of that; it’s not gonna be for a long way off. Point is, I’m sorry we haven’t been able to hang for a while. Maybe next time I’ll bring Tasha, she’s been spending way too much time sneaking around on her own lately.”

“Sounds great,” Steve agreed, smiling. As much as he loved Tony and Bruce, it was nice being able to spend time with his friends, especially the ones in his year. Seeing them in class really wasn’t enough a lot of the time. 

The two kept up their conversation, mostly revolving around the school’s gossip and what was going on with the rest of their friends, even when Clint got back up onto his climbing frame. Steve was used to it; the Hufflepuff wasn’t the only one in their group who had difficulty sitting still for long. Eventually, Steve’s eye landed on the clock on the wall, and he winced; they’d been there for hours! “I should get back to Ravenclaw,” he declared, frowning. “If I stay out much later, Tony and Bruce will worry about me.” He didn’t usually stay out that long past curfew without someone egging him into it. 

Clint dropped to the ground, looking amused. “I swear, sometimes it’s like you’re dating both of them,” he joked, and Steve felt his cheeks burn bright red.

“No!” he blurted quickly, louder than he’d intended to. “No, it’s not like that, not with Bruce, it’s just me and Tony, he’s just a friend.” Clint’s eyes went wide, and he held up his hands appeasingly.

“Whoa, dude, chill, I was just messing around.” A slow smirk crept across his face, and he sat down by Steve’s side. “But, uh, sounds to me like the lady doth protest too much.” Steve raised an eyebrow at the quote, and it was Clint’s turn to blush. “Phil reads out loud to me. He likes Shakespeare. I’m serious, though; something going on between you and Bruce? Or Tony and Bruce? Or you and Tony and Bruce?” Steve worried at his lower lip, stomach churning anxiously. He could trust Clint, he knew, but… he could barely put a name to the feeling himself. All he knew was that sometimes, Bruce left the dorm when he and Tony started fooling around a little too much, and Steve had to stop himself from asking the other boy to stay.

“I… Merlin, I don’t know. I never really thought about it too hard, I guess. Probably because I was scared of what I’d figure out,” he admitted, leaning into the touch when Clint rested a hand on his shoulder. “I mean, everyone knows that Tony and Bruce like each other.” While they might have only been ‘friends with benefits’, Steve knew that if he hadn’t come into the picture, Tony and Bruce would probably be full-on together by now. “But I… wouldn’t completely mind kissing Bruce?” he said hesitantly, afraid Tony was going to jump out and yell at him. “I love Tony, don’t get me wrong, and I don’t think I could live without him.” Clint nodded at the seriousness in his tone, his expression earnest and accepting. “But Bruce spends so much time with us, and, uh, we cuddle a lot.” He felt himself blushing again, but Clint didn’t comment. “And everyone just kinda lumps the three of us in together all the time. Like you said, it’s like I’m dating both of them. Except I don’t get to kiss and touch Bruce like I do with Tony.”

“But you’d like to?” Clint presumed, squeezing his shoulder gently. Steve nodded, slumping so his head rested on Clint’s shoulder. 

“Does that make me a bad person? I mean, Tony should be enough for me. He _is_ enough for me. But… from the beginning, it’s been like Tony and Bruce come as a package deal, and I was totally okay with that. And I’ve seen the way Tony looks at Bruce when he thinks I’m not looking.”

“You’re not a bad person,” Clint insisted firmly, wrapping an arm around him. “Plenty of people love more than one person. And you have a lot of love to go around, Steve, we all know that.” Steve smiled, squeezing Clint’s knee in thanks. “But hell, Tony would probably be up for a threesome if you wanted to try and figure things out, and I can’t see Bruce saying no. Especially with how he’s totally not getting any and it’s driving the wolf kinda nuts.” Steve snorted; that was true. Now that all of them knew, Bruce had no problem letting them know when their scents and emotions were making him uncomfortable. It was much better since the cure, but the wolf was still there even if Bruce was definitely in charge, and Steve was sure that being able to smell everyone else doing it would make him pretty horny too. 

“I, uh, wanted to go all the way with Tony before even thinking about bringing someone else into the equation,” he admitted, and he could practically feel Clint’s surprise.

“Wait, you mean you haven’t done it yet?” he asked. Steve shook his head, sitting up a little. “Damn, I thought you guys started banging ages ago. You spent like half the summer alone at his place!”

“We’ve done everything but,” Steve informed him, blushing brightly at the admission. But he knew Clint wouldn’t tell anyone, except perhaps Phil, who would keep Steve’s secret. “I think Tony doesn’t want to pressure me because I’m younger, but… I do want to go all the way with him. I just don’t know how to bring it up. Every time we get close, he’ll do something else before I can say that he doesn’t need to keep holding off on my account.” Clint snorted, giving him an amused look.

“Steve, man, the guy’s completely in love with you. Just tell him what you want and he’ll jump at the chance to climb you like a tree, it’s really not that hard.” He snickered at the fiery blush on Steve’s face, shoving his shoulder playfully. “And when you’ve finally done the deed, then you can work up the nerve to ask Tony how he feels about Bruce. But I swear, even if Tony doesn’t feel the same way about the guy — which is really, really unlikely, just look at them — he won’t be mad at you for it. I don’t think he could be mad at you for anything if he tried.”

“I suppose,” Steve agreed with a sigh, brain already whirring. “So I, uh, guess I should head back.” Merlin, how was he going to act natural around Bruce and Tony after the conversation he’d just had? Clint grinned at him, clapping him on the shoulder and getting to his feet.

“Yeah, we both should. Phil’s probably done with his study group by now anyway; maybe if I catch him in time I can drag him to bed before some second year’s cat dies or something,” he mused, making Steve snort.

“Thanks for the talk, Clint,” he replied honestly, smiling at the Hufflepuff. “I think I needed someone to just let me talk through things and tell me it’s okay.” Usually that was Tony’s job, but he could hardly tell him about this.

“Any time, man. Though just be aware that if you do end up getting into some kinky threesome shit I demand details so I can live vicariously through you. No way in hell Phil would let anyone else in our bed.” Steve laughed, hugging the shorter boy briefly and reaching for his bag.

“No way you’d want anyone else in there,” he pointed out with a smirk, rolling his eyes at the sappy expression on his friend’s face. The only way Clint and Phil would ever even consider having someone else in with them would be if Tasha suddenly became a boy. 

“Nah, you’re right,” he agreed, nudging the door open. The corridor was empty, as it usually was around that time of night. “But seriously, man, Stark? You need to hit that. Soon. Do it for the good of humanity, Steve!” Steve’s cheeks reddened, but he laughed, shoving Clint lightly. 

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll get on that. G’night, Clint. Good luck dragging Phil away from crying second years.” Clint waved over his shoulder as they split up at the stairs, and Steve turned up to head towards Ravenclaw tower, solving the riddle easily and stepping inside. He was enough of a fixture that no one protested at him entering on his own, and several people even waved at him. Steve waved back, making for the stairs up to the boys’ dorms, and knocked on Tony and Bruce’s door.

“It’s open!” Tony called, making Steve smile as he nudged the door open. Tony and Bruce were sprawled on the floor of the dorm, surrounded by piles of parchment with scrawled notes on them. “Hey there, handsome. Careful where you step; some of these are rune sequences and may or may not explode if you step on them.” Steve snorted, raising his eyebrows at Bruce, who nodded in confirmation.

“Tony’s bed is clean. Mine was donated to science,” he added, gesturing at his own paper-covered bed. Grinning, Steve edged around the room and sat on Tony’s bed, rolling his eyes when he saw his own t-shirt bundled half-under Tony’s pillow. That hadn’t been there when he’d left that morning. 

“Any chance I can persuade you both to tidy up and call it a night?” he asked, undoing his Gryffindor tie and hooking it neatly over one of the bedposts next to Tony’s Ravenclaw one. He pulled his jumper over his head, folding it and setting it on top of Tony’s trunk. 

“Hmm, I dunno, if you keep taking your clothes off, I’m sure I could be convinced,” Tony drawled, eyes lighting up as he watched Steve reach down to unlace his shoes. Bruce snorted, a small smile on his lips. 

“I guess that’s my cue to clear off my bed so you two can have yours,” he remarked, reaching to start piling up all the papers around them. 

“You’re welcome to stay in with us if you want,” Tony replied with a shrug, but Bruce shook his head. 

“And have that poking me in the back all night? I’ll pass,” he joked, gesturing towards Tony’s crotch area. Steve flushed, but Tony merely grinned wider.

“Your loss, sweetcheeks.” Steve knew better than to help them tidy up, not wanting to mess up whatever they were researching, but soon they had several neat stacks of parchment on Bruce’s desk, weighed down by what looked like pieces of an engine block. “So how’s your potions project going?” Tony queried, glancing up at Steve.

“We, uh, didn’t get much done, actually. Clint got bored so we decided to hang out instead. It was nice.” The blonde smiled as Tony wrapped an arm around his waist, leaning up for a kiss.

“Good. And don’t worry about the project, I can help you when you need it.” He smirked, deft fingers working at the top two buttons of Steve’s shirt, brushing his throat teasingly. “We’re not going to bed just yet, are we?”

“Not unless you want to? But I was gonna get a little paperwork done, Pepper keeps telling me to stop stalling on it. Wanna be my pillow while I work?” Steve snorted, hand on Tony’s hip.

“How could I say no to that? What about you, Bruce; any plans for the night?” He glanced over at Bruce, who shrugged, scratching at his chin.

“Not really. I’ll probably just read for a while and get an early night,” he replied, before raising an eyebrow. “Unless you two, uh, wanted me to make myself scarce for a while? I can go hang with Jane.” Steve flushed, remembering what he’d talked about with Clint less than an hour beforehand.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to. Like Tony said, he has paperwork to do,” he pointed out. Bruce shrugged, flopping onto his bed and reaching for a book.

“Fair enough, then. But seriously, if you’re going to start getting handsy, at least close the drapes and put up a privacy charm or two,” he teased, making Tony smirk.

“Duly noted, honeybear. C’mon, Steve, change into something more comfortable and get ready for bed so you don’t have to move once I’m sitting on you.” Steve snorted, releasing Tony so he could sort himself out in the bathroom, changing into soft pyjama pants and a t-shirt and joining Tony in bed, the Ravenclaw with a tablet in hand. He manhandled Steve until the blonde was trapped underneath him, Tony tangled around him like an octopus with one arm free to write with. 

“Comfy?” the Gryffindor asked with raised eyebrows, amused. Tony looked up, grinning at him.

“Very, thank you. I promise this won’t take long, all Pepper said I had to do was sign some stuff.” Steve let his fingers card through Tony’s hair as the older boy worked, smiling as he felt his boyfriend practically melt against him at the touch. “You want your sketchbook or something?”

“Nah, I’m good,” Steve assured, smiling. The way his mind was, he’d probably only end up drawing out his thoughts of him, Tony and Bruce. Even if he drew them in the red sketchbook, he couldn’t chance Tony peering over his shoulder while they were so close together. Bolstered by Clint’s acceptance, Steve let himself dare to think more on the subject, instead of pushing it away out of guilt and shame. If he was honest, in his imagination it wasn’t all that much different to how they were now, except when he and Tony started getting frisky Bruce would stay instead of leaving, and Steve and Tony were free to kiss the werewolf whenever they wanted. He couldn’t help but wonder if the others thought the same as Clint; that the three of them were practically dating anyway.

A slow smile came unbidden to his lips as he let himself imagine what it would be like if Bruce _did_ stay when he and Tony started getting intimate. He didn’t realise the effect it was having on him until Tony set his tablet aside and looked up at him with a smirk, wiggling his eyebrows. “Guess we should put up those privacy charms, huh?” he murmured with a pointed glance at the bulge in Steve’s trousers, sitting up to reach for the curtains around the bed. “Nightnight, Bruce.”

“G’night, guys,” Bruce called back, apparently unconcerned about what they were about to do in the same room as him. Steve would never admit that the thought of Bruce just across the room turned him on even more. 

With the drapes closed, and several privacy charms in place, Tony shifted to rest between Steve’s legs, leaning on the blonde’s broad chest. “Well, hello there,” he drawled, tilting his head up for a kiss. “Someone’s pleased to see me.”

“I want to have sex,” Steve blurted, remembering Clint’s word about just asking. Tony’s eyes widened a fraction, and Steve gathered his courage, continuing. “I want to have sex with you, Tony. I… I’ve loved everything we’ve been doing, but I want _more_. I’m ready. You can stop holding back on me.” He let his fingers wander slowly up Tony’s spine beneath his t-shirt, smirking at the low moan it drew from the shorter boy.

“Are you sure?” Tony asked, breathless. “I mean, I’m all for it if you are, but I don’t want you to rush just because you think I want you to.” 

“I’m not rushing,” Steve insisted, “I want this, Tony.” He tugged the genius’ shirt up over his head, flipping them over so he could rock down into him. “Does this feel like I’m not ready?” Tony smirked, hand reaching down Steve’s boxers. 

“No, no, it definitely feels ready to me. You don’t want to wait until we’ve got the dorm to ourselves?” Steve hoped it wasn’t too obvious how his arousal pulsed at the reminder that Bruce was just outside the drapes.

“He can’t sense anything, right?” he checked, and Tony shook his head. “Then why bother waiting? C’mon, Tony, I want you to fuck me.” Tony froze, eyes going wide.

“You want me to top?” he asked, making Steve flush brightly.

“I, uh, figured you’d want to. That’s how I always imagined it for our first time. Unless you want me to?” Tony shook his head rapidly, still wide-eyed.

“No, no, I just thought you’d want to be in control, but I am definitely on board with fucking you, _Merlin_ , Steve, how did I get so lucky?” Steve smirked, leaning down for a long, slow kiss.

“I love you, Tony. So hurry up and get in me.” Tony didn’t need any more prompting, almost falling out of bed in his haste to flip them back over so Steve was underneath him, struggling out of his trousers at the same time. Steve laughed softly, before the sound was muffled by Tony’s lips, and any higher thought processes were far, far out of Steve’s reach. He’d totally have to buy Clint some prank arrows or something, to thank him for giving him the courage to ask. This was going to be _amazing_.


	6. Need to Know Basis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darcy doesn’t like not knowing things, especially things that involve her best friend.

Fourth year wasn’t really so bad, so far. Not for Darcy, at least. It was probably the last year she could properly enjoy herself without the threat of exams looming over her; though Sixth year didn’t seem to be going too badly for her older friends.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t really say the same for her best friend; Fourth year for him was definitely… different. Not in a completely bad way, though. He was actually hanging out with her other friends — and even _Thor_ — since they’d spent the whole summer bonding or whatever. She couldn’t really see it; sure, he hung out with them, and didn’t act like Thor was invisible, but Darcy could hardly say they spoke much or anything. Small steps, she supposed.

Watching, she smiled as Tony playfully ruffled Loki’s hair, making the Slytherin scowl and duck away, retreating to Sif’s side. The Ravenclaw boy seemed to have taken to Loki the most, outside of the group of Gryffindors who had grown up with him, and it made Darcy happy to see her best friend getting on okay with her other friends. It was good for Loki, to hang out with people that weren’t her or Sif. Maybe when he got more comfortable with their group, he’d actually let down his guard a little more and smile or something. 

“Sit down and put the movie on, Stark!” Clint called with a roll of his eyes, head resting on Phil’s stomach as they sprawled out on the bed-sofa-thing the room had provided for movie night. Tony snorted, but obligingly crawled over to settle between Steve and Bruce, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend and flinging his legs over Bruce’s lap. Loki stood by the edge of the bed, looking somewhat lost, and Darcy reached over to grab his hand and yank him onto it, giggling at the disgruntled look he gave her. 

“Come on, make yourself comfy before all the good spots are taken,” she urged, glancing back over at the rest of her friends. Most of the guys already had people leaning on them — though Thor and Jane sat at opposite sides of the room made her do a double-take — but Bucky was sat leaning against the wall, and offered an arm to her when he saw her looking. She grinned, shuffling over to slide under his arm and make herself comfortable, bringing Loki with her and half-shoving the Slytherin boy towards Fandral, who merely shifted to accommodate Loki leaning against him. A startled look on his face, Darcy silently cheered when Loki stayed in place, and finally turned to watch the movie. Missing the glance Thor sent in the dark-haired boy’s direction, Darcy let her feet rest against Loki’s thigh, a warm feeling in her chest at having all her friends finally together. If only Jane and Thor would stop being so awkward with each other, things would be pretty perfect.

By the end of the film, most of them had moved, and several had even fallen asleep. “It’s the weekend, I might as well stay here,” Tony murmured, looking quite comfortably squashed between Bruce and Steve, both of whom were sleeping. Pepper was curled with her head in Rhodey’s lap, completely dead to the world, and the Hufflepuff gently shifted her closer to the trio of boys, smiling when she snuggled up against Bruce’s back in her sleep. 

“I’m heading back; you guys coming with me?” Bucky asked, gently nudging Darcy to get her to sit up. She did so with a yawn, stretching out her arms. 

“Yes, just give us a minute,” Sif replied, watching with amusement as the boys tried to untangle themselves with dignity. Loki shuffled aside, looking uncomfortable once more. 

“I should get going,” he said quietly, and Darcy made to get off the bed and walk round, hugging him tightly. 

“Sure, why don’t you walk back with Tasha?” she suggested, kissing his cheek. “G’night.”

“Goodnight, little serpent,” Sif added, moving to hug Loki quickly. Fandral clapped him on the shoulder, smiling, and when Thor finally clambered off the bed, he stood in front of Loki and bit his lip, shifting awkwardly. 

“Goodnight, Loki. Sleep well,” he said quietly, moving as if to hug him before thinking better of it, arms falling limply to his sides. 

“Goodnight, Thor.” Loki turned away, glancing towards Tasha, who was saying goodnight to Clint and Phil. 

“Jane, why don’t you walk back up with us? Since those two are being lazy buggers,” Peggy suggested, looking over at the Ravenclaw girl, who paused. 

“No, it’s fine. I can head up on my own,” she insisted, eyes flicking over to Thor — and to Darcy’s surprise, over to Loki, glaring briefly before looking away. “I’ll see you all in the morning.” She left before any of them could argue otherwise, and Peggy sighed, shaking her head. 

“Fair enough. Come on then, you lot. Before Hogan starts his rounds and ends up finding us without Tony around to pay him off,” she remarked, making Rhodey snort. Darcy joined her fellow Hufflepuffs to head down to the common room, her eyes still on Loki as the Slytherin left with Tasha. Glancing back at Thor, she frowned at the almost wistful look on his face before Sif looped her arm through his, tugging him towards the door.

“C’mon, Darce, I wanna get to bed,” Clint called, making her realise the rest of her housemates were halfway down the corridor already. She jogged to catch up with them, smiling apologetically.

“Sorry, guys. Guess I’m more tired than I thought.” Clint shrugged and smiled, his hand twined with Phil’s as they walked, and Darcy made a mental note to ask Loki what was up. He’d been avoiding talking to her about important things since school had restarted; there was no escaping now.

.-.-.

She didn’t get the chance to talk to Loki until after classes the next day, looping her arm through his as they walked out of Charms and directing him down the corridor away from the rest of their classmates, who were all heading back to their houses to put their books away before dinner. He merely sighed, rolling his eyes. “Where are we going?” he asked in resignation, making her grin.

“Somewhere we can talk. You’ve been changing the subject for far too long, mister, and I want to know why Jane glares at you whenever you hang out with our group.” His step faltered, and her grin widened in triumph. Tugging him into an empty classroom, she locked the door behind them both, turning to him. “Come on, spill. I can’t help if I don’t know what’s going on.”

“I don’t think this is something you can help with, I’m afraid,” he replied, perching on the edge of the teacher’s desk. “I wasn’t entirely honest with you about everything that happened over the summer.” Darcy raised an eyebrow, leaning against the desk opposite. “Thor and I were getting along so well, but… he pushed too far. It was late at night, and I was frustrated from having played quidditch with him for most of the day. I couldn’t help myself.” Darcy’s eyes widened, her jaw dropping.

“Oh, tell me you didn’t…” she breathed, drawing a wry smile to his lips.

“I can’t,” he replied bluntly. “I kissed him. I shouldn’t have done it, I know that, but… Darcy, he didn’t push me away.” He sounded amazed even now, and Darcy’s breath caught in her throat.

“What, he kissed you back?” Loki nodded, eyes glazing over a little as he remembered.

“Not for long, mind. But even after, when I started to panic, he assured me he didn’t hate me and ended up holding me until I calmed down. When I woke up, he was still there, but I wasn’t much in the mood to get rejected so I told him to leave,” he admitted honestly.

“Is that why he and Jane split? Because you and him are a thing now?” she asked, watching Loki blush in response, shaking his head.

“Thor and I aren’t any sort of ‘thing’,” he assured her, a bitter tinge to his voice. “But I can only imagine my slip is the reason he and Jane are no longer together. No doubt he insisted on being honest with her, and she reacted badly. It can’t have endeared him to me, either; I’m now the reason the love of his young life broke up with him.”

“Hey, you don’t know that,” Darcy insisted supportively. “Yeah, it might be why Jane split with him.” Because as much as the pair claimed it was mutual, Jane was clearly the instigator of the break-up. “But that doesn’t mean he hates you for it or anything. Have you spoken to him?” Regardless of whether he had or not, Darcy made a mental note to speak to Thor herself and figure out what was really going on. She couldn’t ask Jane; if the older girl found out Darcy might in any way be trying to set Thor up with Loki, their friendship wouldn’t do well for it. The way Jane had spoken when she’d told Darcy about the break-up implied that there was the possibility of them getting back together again.

“I have, once, shortly after he and Jane announced that they were no longer a pair,” Loki admitted. “But he merely told me that he needed time to sort his head out, and he could not do anything with anyone until he has organised his thoughts and feelings. I understand such things are difficult for him,” he added dryly, and Darcy couldn’t help but giggle. “But nevertheless, he doesn’t seem to be horrified with me, which is more than I could hope for.” Darcy smiled, reaching over to pat his knee.

“Hey, you never know; maybe if you keep hanging out with us he’ll see you as boyfriend material instead of little brother material. If he’s sorting out his thoughts and feelings… that could be his feelings about you, right?” Loki’s jaw clenched, and he flinched back out of Darcy’s reach, making her frown; she’d gone too far.

“I must admit, I’m surprised. I expected you to be taking Lady Jane’s side in all of this, with her being your best friend. From what I comprehend of friendship rules, you should be refusing to talk to me out of principle,” he pointed out sardonically. Darcy snorted, giving him an amused look.

“Dude, you’re way more my best friend than Jane is, I thought you knew that,” she informed him with a fond shake of her head. “And I’m not taking sides. I’m just offering my help and support, and pointing out when you’re being a moron. Which is now, by the way.” She snorted at his offended look, giving the boy a grin. “Seriously, man, don’t assume you’ve lost before you’ve even started the race. All we know is that Thor needs a little space; he just broke up with a girl he thought he loved, that’s totally understandable. But no one said there was no chance of him liking you back. Keep your hopes up, hmm?” 

He smiled weakly back at her, looking hopeful. “You really think that might be possible?” he asked, sounding like he hardly dared believe it. Darcy nodded, remembering the look on Thor’s face when Loki had left the movie night without hugging him goodbye. It was _definitely_ possible. 

She postponed her mental determination to talk to Thor, thinking it might be better to just watch and wait and see what came of things. And maybe talk to Sif; the Gryffindor girl knew Thor’s mind better than Thor himself did. “I definitely think so. So don’t give up yet, yeah?” Darcy glanced at her watch, then winced. “Now come on, before we’re late for dinner and all the good stuff is gone.” Grabbing Loki by the hand, she dragged him from the classroom and in the direction of the main staircase. They passed several people on the way, most of whom merely glanced at their joined hands and moved aside, smirking, but Darcy didn’t let it bother her. There had been rumours about her and Loki being together since their second year; there were worse people she could have her name connected to. Besides, when most of her friends were two years above, and prefects at that, people rarely messed with her. Phil’s glare was good for something, after all.


	7. Puppy Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The plan was, Bruce wouldn’t find out until everyone was ready. Unfortunately, Tony Stark can’t stick to plans.

The cauldron in front of him bubbled steadily as he stirred, changing from a pale purple to a vibrant sky blue. Bruce grinned triumphantly, tongue sticking between his teeth as he worked. He’d been working on that particular potion for weeks now, and he was so close to a solution. It was a sleeping potion — or would be, when he perfected it — that would give natural sleep with pleasant dreams instead of magical sleep with no dreams, and was completely non-addictive. He knew better than anyone how easy it was to develop insomnia due to nightmares, and waking from a potion-induced sleep often felt like no sleep at all. The patent would go to Stark Industries, of course — Bruce was technically employed now — and hopefully he’d be able to get it out to hospitals by the new year. It would have to be regulated carefully, as despite being non-addictive he didn’t intend for it to be a nightly potion, but he had high hopes for it. 

It was nice, being best friends with Tony Stark; from a business standpoint, at least. Anything he created went to SI after the Potions Guild had tested and approved it, which meant the name Bruce Banner wasn’t attached to anything. It was better that way; he just wanted to be able to work quietly and help people. No one asked for specific names when a potion came out of SI, so no one knew nor cared that a teenager that wasn’t Tony Stark had created four of the potions that were being mass-produced today. Everybody won.

His concentration was interrupted by the loud bleeping of his alarm, and he groaned, setting a stasis charm over the cauldron and glancing at his watch. Seven thirty; he needed to get his Transfiguration essay done before bed, and he’d promised he wouldn’t spend the whole night in the lab. Biting his lip, Bruce turned back to the potion; he was a couple of steps away from being able to let it brew overnight, and it wouldn’t hurt to get it there. Stasis didn’t damage most potions, but he didn’t want to take the risk. 

When the blue potion was at a point where he could leave it, Bruce tidied his things away and went to his school bag, rifling through it for his half-written essay and a quill. He cursed under his breath; his textbook was still up in the dorm. Of course, Tony had borrowed it earlier, and clearly hadn’t put it back in his bag. Just perfect. He’d been planning on giving Steve and Tony a little alone time for once; ever since they’d finally done the deed — with him in the room, no less, the perverts — they had been even more horny than ever, and it was driving him crazy. Them smelling like post-sex pheromones was much less grating on him than smelling like lust. Shaking his head, he shouldered his bag and left the lab, locking up behind himself. Hopefully he wouldn’t interrupt them in the middle of anything — not that he hadn’t seen it all before — and could take his book down to the common room to study. Jane could probably do with the company, anyway. She seemed to be getting over Thor, in her own way, but Bruce still couldn’t help but worry. She was pack, they both were, and having pack upset made him uneasy.

Wandering into the Ravenclaw common room, he gave a cursory glance around and didn’t find Jane, presuming she was in her dorm. Heading for his own, he tried to sniff out ahead of time if he was interrupting anything; it smelled like sex, but it was a post-sex smell, and Bruce was relieved. Walking in on Steve and Tony naked and cuddling wouldn’t bother any of them. He then frowned, sniffing once more; was that… fur?

Knocking out of politeness, he pushed the door open, greeting dying on his lips as he spotted the two canines curled up around each other on Tony’s bed. One was a German Shepherd, and the other a coyote, the larger dog’s body curving protectively around the coyote, their paws overlapped and noses touching. They both looked up when Bruce entered, and it was difficult to tell which of the three was more alarmed. Bruce’s senses told him that the pair were definitely Steve and Tony, and his eyes went wide in alarm; how in Merlin’s name had they ended up as animals? “Oh my God, guys, what happened? Are you okay? Tony, what did you do?” he exclaimed, hurrying to the bed to check the pair over. They didn’t look hurt or anything, but Bruce could never be too sure. 

The Tony-coyote yipped, rising clumsily as the mattress sank under his paws, looking at Bruce with wide eyes. “Are you hurt? What spell did you use? Or did someone do this to you? Oh, God, I should go get Healer McCoy.” The Steve-dog made an alarmed sort-of rumbling sound, nudging the Tony-coyote with his nose. The next thing Bruce knew, Steve and Tony were back to their human selves, sprawled on the bed in boxers and t-shirts. 

“Whoa, Bruce, honeybunch, chill,” Tony soothed hurriedly, bounding off the bed to wrap an arm around Bruce’s shoulders. “No need to call McCoy, we’re both totally fine.” Bruce stared wide-eyed at him, stunned.

“You… that was voluntary? And reversible without a wand?” he asked, perplexed, panic still racing through him. The wolf raged in his mind, wanting to fix whatever was wrong with his pack. Steve and Tony shared a somewhat sheepish glance, and the blonde rubbed the back of his neck.

“We, uh, didn’t mean for you to find out this way,” he admitted hesitantly. “We didn’t want you to know until everyone could do it. It was Clint’s idea, in the beginning.”

“Steve, I’ll be honest, I still have no idea what the hell you’re talking about,” Bruce cut in bluntly, making Tony snort.

“We’re animagi,” the genius replied bluntly. “Clint thought it would be good for you to have some company on the full moon, and, well, we started way before you were cured, so human company was definitely out. He suggested we all become animagi so we could join you out in the forest, keep you in check. Then I found a cure, but we figured as long as you’re still transforming, company could be a good idea, and better to be safe than sorry. Besides, being an animagus is way cool.”

“Clint and Phil have it down, and Bucky’s almost there, and I think Peggy’s transformed a couple times,” Steve added, getting up to rest a hand on Bruce’s arm. “Everyone’s getting along really quickly, but… we wanted to surprise you with it when we were all ready.”

“You… you learned how to be animagi? All of you? For me?” Bruce asked, stunned, and he was embarrassed to find tears welling in his eyes. 

“Of course we did, sweetcheeks. At the time I was way off a cure, and none of us liked the thought of you tearing yourself up in that shack every month,” Tony pointed out, leaning in to press a kiss to Bruce’s temple. 

“There’s not much we wouldn’t do for you, Bruce,” Steve added, the honesty in his voice almost bringing Bruce to his knees. 

“I… I can’t believe it. The animagus transformation is supposed to be really difficult magic!” Tony grinned roguishly at him, winking.

“Well, Steve here was the first to get it right, so it can’t be that difficult,” he joked.

“Hey!” Steve exclaimed in mock offence, aiming an elbow at his boyfriend’s ribs that Tony easily dodged.

“I’m just kidding, babe. But seriously, Bruce, it was no trouble at all when we’re all doing it for you. We’re your pack, it’s kinda in the job description.” Bruce could hardly breathe through the emotions choking him, and allowed Tony and Steve to manhandle him down onto the bed, Steve tugging his shoes off and Tony undoing his tie. 

“Breathe, Bruce. We got you,” Steve murmured soothingly, one large hand rubbing circles on the werewolf’s back.

“I never— I never thought I’d have friends, let alone so many, and all willing to perform dangerous and illegal magic just to give me a little comfort,” Bruce whispered into Tony’s shoulder, cheeks red in embarrassment as he kept crying. Tony merely hugged him tighter, kissing his hair, and Bruce felt Steve’s arm squeeze him around the waist. 

“We all love you, honeybear, and that means danger and legality be damned. Besides, it won’t be illegal for long; we’ll totally register once we graduate,” Tony promised, humour in his tone. “I’m sorry we ruined the surprise, though.”

“No, don’t be,” Bruce insisted hurriedly. “I’m actually kinda glad you did. Breaking down like this in front of everyone would have been embarrassing.” Tony and Steve had seen him cry too many times for him to be truly bothered by it. The rest of the group, on the other hand…

“Still, I wish we’d been able to ease you into it instead of transforming without warning like that.” Tony eased Bruce up so they were face-to-face, lifting a hand to wipe away his friend’s tears. “You okay?” Bruce took a deep breath, steadying himself, and nodded.

“Yeah. Think so. Just… easily emotional.” The moon was in two days, and while the cure meant he was still in control of himself, he was still prone to minor mood swings. Steve chuckled, smiling at him.

“You cry as much as you want,” he urged, making Bruce smile, relaxing into both of them.

“What were you doing, anyway? Sleeping as animals?” the werewolf queried, perplexed. “Unless… you didn’t have sex in animal form, did you?” His voice was wary, but Steve and Tony immediately went wide-eyed, shaking their heads quickly.

“No, no, nothing like that,” Tony assured hastily. “Though we should totally try that, Steve; we’re biologically compatible.” Steve huffed, smacking Tony on the shoulder where he could reach him.

“We are not having sex in animal form, you pervert,” he scolded quickly, before turning back to Bruce and ignoring his boyfriend’s mumbled protests. “We were just cuddling. It’s… different, in animal form. Everything is simpler, it’s really relaxing. And Tony still needs to get used to holding his form while he’s sleeping,” he added. “Both of us thought you’d be in the lab until curfew.”

“Forgot my transfiguration textbook,” Bruce replied by way of explanation. Tony snorted, holding him tighter.

“You still haven’t done that essay? Bruce, you rebel; it’s due tomorrow. Which sucks for you, because I’m totally comfortable here and you’re not allowed to move,” he declared stubbornly. Bruce rolled his eyes, shoving halfheartedly at Tony’s shoulder.

“Come on, Tony; I need to get that essay done or Selvig will kill me. If you really want me to cuddle with you I’ll come back to bed after I’m finished, but don’t you think you and Steve should have a little time to yourselves?” He couldn’t help but notice when Steve flushed, and smelled his arousal increase as Tony bundled all three of them closer together. Well, he was a teenage boy. 

“Steve and I get time to ourselves all the time, but we can never have too much time with you. Right, gorgeous?”

“Very true,” Steve confirmed, giving Bruce a smile as he tightened an arm around him. “You have a study period before Transfiguration, you can do the essay then. Just stay with us, please?” Bruce huffed; he could never resist Steve’s pleading eyes.

“Fine,” he relented, and Tony let out a quiet whoop. Bruce managed to wriggle out of his trousers, tossing them vaguely in the direction of his own bed, and unbuttoned his shirt to shrug it off, leaving him in just his boxers. He debated hunting for a t-shirt somewhere, but then Tony and Steve practically crushed him between them, kissing briefly over his shoulder. 

“Go to sleep, honeybunch. Maybe later Steve will let you pet him,” Tony muttered, face buried half in the pillow and half in Steve’s shoulder, and Bruce blushed brightly until he realised that of course, Tony meant Steve’s animal form. “He has a sweet spot behind his left ear.” Bruce cracked an eye open to look at Steve, who was smiling through his blush, holding both of them close.

“You can do whatever you want, Bruce; just let us go back to sleep now,” he promised, and Bruce snorted.

“Yes, sir.” He settled down into the tangle of limbs, loving the familiar warmth and comfort it gave him, and closed his eyes as he tried to figure out what animals the rest of his friends turned into. Merlin, he couldn’t wait to see it.


	8. New Year's Resolutions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jane appreciated Thor taking time to get over her before pursuing Loki, but really, this was just getting ridiculous.

Jane stuffed her hands into the pockets of her robes, shivering at the winter chill that lingered around the castle despite magical fires and heating charms. Christmas was well and truly over, though classes hadn’t yet begun, and with even less students in the castle than usual it seemed colder and emptier than ever.

She didn’t usually stay at school over Christmas. Only once or twice in the past; usually she went back and had Christmas with her parents. But her dad was at some astronomy conference over the holiday, and her mother was staying with Jane’s great-grandmother, who wasn’t well and didn’t need teenagers underfoot apparently. Jane didn’t mind, really; she just wished Thor had gone home for the holidays. The only other people in their group who had stayed were those who almost never went home for any reason; Bruce, Tony, Peggy and Natasha. Even Clint, who was usually there to keep them company, had gone home with Phil to stay with his family for Christmas. Jane hadn’t expected for Thor and Loki to stay — their parents usually roped them into all sorts of pureblood dinner parties and Yule festivities — but there they had been when she’d wandered down to the Ravenclaw common room the first morning of Christmas break. Tony had let them in, pointing out that with hardly any other Ravenclaws staying, they might as well use the common room for something. 

Under the circumstances, Jane thought she was dealing quite well. She could have gotten angry, begun to hate the person who had stolen her boyfriend from her — even if he didn’t seem to know it yet. She could have hidden away from all of her friends and buried herself in books like she usually did when she was upset. She was quite proud of herself for not withdrawing, for only glaring at Loki occasionally when he hung out with their group. The Slytherin fit in irritatingly well, a good match to Tony’s brand of dry humour and Sif’s quick wit. Everyone else seemed to like him just fine. Of course, none of them knew the true circumstances between her and Thor’s break-up. Except perhaps Darcy, who often gave her sympathetic looks when she thought Jane wasn’t watching. Loki had no doubt told her everything.

Despite all this, despite the fragile feeling starting to arise that she thought meant she was actually beginning to get over things, she found herself seeking out her boyfriend’s adoptive brother in the library a few days before the rest of the school would return. She’d yet to say more than five words at a time to Loki, but he didn’t seem to expect anything of her. It confused her. He didn’t taunt, didn’t brag about having Thor’s love. Didn’t try and ply her with false platitudes that would probably hurt more than bragging. He didn’t even actively avoid her, though she wouldn’t have blamed him if he had. He was unfailingly polite, if a little shy, and irritatingly gave her no valid reason to hate him.

She found him in the little corner he and Darcy usually kept for themselves, alone with a book on his lap and his feet tucked up underneath him, unlaced boots beside his chair. He looked comfortable, and she almost turned around to avoid disturbing him, but took a deep breath and continued forward; it was now or never. He looked up when she came too close to pretend not to notice, raising one dark eyebrow in her direction. “Can I help you, Jane?” he asked, and she bit her lip.

“Can we talk? I promise I won’t, like, yell at you for stealing my boyfriend or anything.” Not that part of her didn’t want to, but she’d never been that kind of girl. Loki winced at her words, straightening up in his chair and setting his book aside.

“I haven’t stolen anything from you, I assure you,” he replied curtly, looking like he’d rather be doing anything than having that particular conversation. Jane didn’t blame him, really.

“That’s kinda what I wanted to talk about, actually,” she confessed, watching his expression become confused. “It’s been like, months since Thor and I broke up. I’d expected the two of you to be a thing by now, even if you were only keeping it to our little friend group.” Sure, she’d expected a grace period while Thor got over her and realised he was actually completely in love with the Slytherin, but her expectation was for that to have ended a while ago. There was no question as to whether Loki returned Thor’s feelings — he was the one who had started this in the first place — and if Jane knew anything, it was that Thor was not a patient man. So why had nothing happened?

Loki looked startled, both eyebrows rising higher, even as a flick of his wand rose a privacy ward around their little corner. Jane was impressed at the complexity of the ward; it was sixth year stuff, at least. “I can promise you,” he bit out, a frown at his lips. “Thor and I will never be a ‘thing’, as you call it. As much as it pains me, he doesn’t feel that way about me.” Jane couldn’t help but snort, lips quirking in amusement.

“Well that’s a lie,” she muttered dryly, giving him a pointed look when his brow furrowed in confusion. How could he not know? “Seriously?” she asked, skeptical. “Thor kisses you once, spends the whole night sleeping with you in his arms, then the next thing you know he’s breaking up with his _girlfriend_ and you still think he doesn’t feel that way about you?” 

“He only slept with me because I had a panic attack,” Loki defended immediately, making her roll her eyes.

“Yeah, keep telling yourself that.” She sighed, twirling a stray lock of hair around her finger. “Merlin, I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but… damn, Loki, the way he talked about you when we came back after the summer. I didn’t break up with him because of the kiss; that wasn’t really his fault, it was excusable. But the fact that he couldn’t even look me in the eye and tell me he’d push you away if it happened again, or that he’d pick me over you if it came down to it… it told me everything I needed to know. I figured it would be best to end things there, before it got to the point where he was sneaking around behind my back and things got messy.” 

She felt equal parts guilty and smug for causing the lost, wide-eyed expression on Loki’s face — smug because she knew Thor better than he did, but guilty because he probably thought she was setting him up for more heartbreak. “I— I don’t understand,” he stuttered, curling up a little tighter in his chair, and Jane’s heart clenched slightly. She forgot how young he was, sometimes.

“I don’t particularly like you for taking my boyfriend away,” she told him bluntly, and he flinched. “But I think, in a few months, I could learn to. And I don’t blame you for anything; something tells me Thor would have figured things out eventually with or without your help.” Loki was gaping by now, and Jane perched on the desk opposite him. “He’s in love with you. Like, ridiculously so. I mean, sure, he’s really, really confused about it right now because of the whole adoptive brother thing, but… I could tell it from the look on his face when he talked about you. I don’t know why he’s holding off so long; it seriously can’t be taking him this long to get his head straight.” 

“You… why are you telling me this?” Loki asked, his tone wary and his eyes guarded. “Surely you aren’t encouraging me.” Jane shrugged, hands in her pockets once more.

“I kind-of am, actually,” she confessed nonchalantly. “I still love Thor, and I want him to be happy. He’s not been himself since we broke up, and it worries me. If I can’t make him happy anymore, well… I think you’ve got a pretty good shot.” Amazingly, she actually felt a bit of weight lift off her shoulders at the words. She was being the bigger person; she could do this and not be bitter. She could see Thor happy with someone else and not hate him for it.

“He was happy with you. So, so happy,” Loki assured her, sounding almost wistful. Jane smiled sadly, her eyes knowing as they met his.

“Yeah, but… not as happy as he was whenever you looked at him. Just think about it, Loki. Don’t let him hide from you until this all blows over; Gryffindors shouldn’t run from things.” With that, she turned away and dismantled the Slytherin’s privacy ward, walking away and leaving him to his thoughts. Glancing quickly over her shoulder, a faint smile crossed her lips at the barest hint of hope in his perplexed expression; hopefully that would be enough to push Loki into actually confronting Thor, instead of being too wary of upsetting him and ruining his chances. 

In theory, she thought she could deal with the inevitability of Thor and Loki being a couple. She just hoped she could deal with it in practice. Still, she mused to herself as she set off towards Ravenclaw, hoping Bruce and Tony weren’t too engrossed in whatever crazy scheme they had going on to hang out with her. She really needed something to take her mind off the fact that soon, her ex-boyfriend would probably no longer be single. Unless, of course, he considered being obstinate. Then she might have to take more drastic measures.

Snorting, Jane shook her head, a rueful smile on her face. What kind of messed-up universe did she live in that she was actually working to set her ex up with his adoptive younger brother??


	9. One More For Luck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After his talk with Clint, Steve has been allowing his mind to wander a little more. It was only a matter of time before Tony found out.

If there was one person Tony was aware of more than he was aware of himself, it was Steve. Well, Bruce and Steve, but mostly Steve. And he couldn’t help but be very aware that Steve had been acting weird for a while. Things had started to get weird ever since they had first had sex; Steve hadn’t been distant, far from it, but he’d just seemed more… contemplative than usual. Tony didn’t usually doubt his skills in, well, _anything_ , but… when someone starts acting strange after sleeping with you, there’s usually only one answer.

Tony didn’t think he was bad at sex. Bruce had never told him he was bad at sex. Steve had never had any complaints with anything they’d done before, and still had nothing but praise for Tony’s skills in bed. But he could be lying, right? Tony couldn’t think of any other possibilities that coincided with the time Steve had started acting weird from. 

“Bruce, am I bad at sex?” Bruce looked up from his cauldron, eyebrows raised.

“Excuse me?” he asked, perplexed. Tony hopped up onto the workbench, running a hand through his hair and probably smearing engine grease through it. 

“Steve’s been acting weird ever since we started sleeping together. He was fine before, and now he’s all thoughtful and weird. What if I’m not, y’know, satisfying him?” he asked plainly, a frown on his lips. Bruce’s brow furrowed, and he put his potion in stasis.

“Tony, being blunt; if sex with you is anything like it was when we were together, there is no way Steve could be disappointed or unsatisfied.” Tony couldn’t help but preen at his words, and Bruce rolled his eyes. “Oh, stop it. All I’m saying is, maybe it’s got nothing to do with you; maybe he’s just got something on his mind. Have you tried asking him?”

“Uh, no,” Tony admitted sheepishly, making Bruce snort. 

“Try that, then. You know what they say about assuming,” he pointed out, and it was Tony’s turn to roll his eyes.

“Yeah, yeah, makes an ass out of you and me, I know. Can’t you help me out, though? With your magical werewolf powers of deduction?” he asked hopefully, turning a pleading gaze on his friend.

“No, Tony; my senses are not a substitute for actually _asking_ people about their feelings.” Tony’s gaze didn’t falter, and Bruce huffed in irritation. “There’s nothing off about his scent that I’ve noticed, anyway,” he relented. “You’re both horny as hell all the time. He’s been a little anxious recently, but nothing too out of the ordinary. Just go talk to him, Tony; he’s your boyfriend, you’re supposed to be able to talk about things.”

“You’re right, of course, you’re right. Anxious?” Tony checked, frowning. What could Steve have to be anxious about? “Okay, I’m gonna go find Steve. I’ll see you back at the dorm, hmm?” Hopping off the desk, he darted over to give Bruce a quick kiss on the cheek before leaving the lab. “JARVIS, where is he?” he asked, pulling his phone from his pocket.

“Steve is in the astronomy tower, sir.” A faint smile came to Tony’s face; he was probably drawing, then. Steve was usually in a good mood when he was drawing. Tony made for the nearest shortcut, jogging up the stairs and darting through corridors to get to the tallest tower in the castle. Not wanting to disturb his boyfriend if he was in the middle of drawing something important, Tony kept his steps as light as possible on his way up, smiling fondly when he saw Steve sat in the centre of the room, bathed in the orange glow of the sunset as he worked. God, he was beautiful; how the hell did Tony get so lucky with him? Inching forward, he paused when he saw the red leather edging the sketchbook in the blonde’s lap. He really shouldn’t look. He knew Steve wouldn’t want him to look. The only time he got to see red sketchbook drawings was when they were torn out and shown to him, but they were always his favourite. Oh, fuck it, he was going to look. Surely it couldn’t hurt.

Stepping closer, Steve still oblivious, Tony peered over the blonde’s shoulders, unable to stifle the gasp when he saw the picture on the page. It was a charcoal drawing of a bed definitely in the Ravenclaw dorm, with him and Steve kissing passionately on it. However, they weren’t alone; Bruce was with them, kissing his way down Tony’s back with his hand gripping Steve’s thigh, his other one out of sight somewhere by Tony’s waist, the implication obvious. All three of them seemed to be enjoying themselves in the drawing, and Tony felt a hot spark of arousal travel down his spine.

Steve turned at his gasp, eyes going wide in horror when he saw that Tony had seen his sketchbook. “Tony!” he exclaimed, voice slightly strangled. “You… I didn’t hear you come in.”

“You seemed pretty preoccupied,” Tony replied, surprised at how husky his voice came out. Damn. “So, uh, care to explain about the drawing? Because I’m not gonna lie, I was not expecting to see that.” Steve reddened, shutting the book and ducking his head.

“God, Tony, I’m sorry,” he muttered, biting his lip. “I didn’t— I never— it’s not what it looks like.” Tony frowned at Steve’s panic, crouching to wrap an arm around him, kissing his neck.

“Hey, hey, easy. I don’t judge, remember? Just be honest with me. Bruce?” Steve sighed, reluctantly leaning into the embrace.

“I’ve been trying to think things through,” he admitted, and Tony hated the stab of insecurity in his stomach at the blonde’s words. The fact that it was a drawing of the three of them instead of just Steve and Bruce proved that Steve still loved him, right? “When I was doing the potions project with Clint, he made a crack about how it was like I was dating both of you, and, well… I’d been thinking about it, a little. Clint helped me try and get things straight in my head, and told me it was okay to, uh, like more than one person at a time.” Tony rubbed his back gently, listening while the blonde talked. It wasn’t often that Steve could totally shock him, but this was definitely one of those times.

“That was months ago, before Christmas. You never let on, not even a little bit,” he pointed out, and Steve shrugged.

“I didn’t know how you’d take it. I mean, I don’t want Bruce without you. I just… sometimes when we’re together, and Bruce goes to leave to give us privacy, I think about what it would be like if he stayed instead. And when all three of us are together, it’s just so comfortable. It feels right, y’know? But it doesn’t mean I love you any less than I always have, and if you aren’t interested then that’s totally fine and I’m sure it’ll pass and I promise I won’t do anything about it and-mmph!” He was cut off by Tony’s lips covering his, and it took a few moments before the Ravenclaw could get him to relax into it properly. When he pulled away, Tony smiled, stroking Steve’s jaw. 

“I don’t blame you for being attracted to Bruce,” he assured softly. “Hell, it’s hard not to be, he’s beautiful. But… I haven’t really thought about anything like that since I got together with you. Figured I shouldn’t push my luck by asking for more, y’know? Still don’t know why you’re with me to begin with.” Steve frowned, a scolding look on his face.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Tony; I’m with you because I love you. But does that mean you’re… not into it?” he asked hesitantly. Tony paused before answering, trying to imagine Steve’s drawing becoming reality. He already knew how good in bed Bruce was; having him and Steve together might be more hotness than his mind could handle.

“I never said that,” he replied, surprising the blonde. “I’m not against it, but can I have a little time to think about things before we talk to Bruce about it? Just to get my head around things. This is all a little sudden.” He’d thought he’d have to give up any hope of sleeping with Bruce again when he got together with Steve. This was a huge shift to his worldview.

“Of course, of course,” Steve agreed instantly, a hesitantly hopeful look on his face. “You’re not just saying that to make me happy, are you?” 

“Steve, I wouldn’t mess you or Bruce around like that,” Tony pointed out bluntly. “I’m saying that because the thought of you and Bruce making out while I watch is really, really hot.” Steve snorted, and Tony pulled him into another kiss. “Why don’t we go back to the dorm, hmm? I’ll let you dirty-talk me into an imaginary threesome. By the looks of that drawing, you’ve definitely got some fantasies stored up in there,” he murmured, tapping Steve’s temple. The blonde’s eyes darkened with lust, and he nodded, hastily scrambling to pack away his art supplies. “And then you’re going to show me every other sexy drawing you have in that sketchbook of yours. _Damn_ , Rogers, you’ve been holding out on me!” Steve chuckled, hand in Tony’s as they made for the stairs of the tower, a spring in his step. Tony tried not to rush too much, but gave up all attempt at calm when they got to the dormitory stairs, sprinting up to the room and sighing in relief when it was empty. Trying to explain their raging lust to Bruce without giving anything away would have been awkward. Tony didn’t waste any time in pulling Steve towards the bed, tugging his shirt and jumper over his head in one swift move. “Sex, then we start planning the best way to get Bruce in our bed without freaking him out. Deal?” Steve growled faintly, hands working at Tony’s belt buckle.

“Merlin, I love you,” he breathed, making Tony grin.

“Love you, too, gorgeous. And I believe you promised me dirty-talk, so get to it.” One of his favourite things about Steve was the filthy, filthy mouth he had in bed. Steve smirked wolfishly, pushing him down onto the bed and ripping his shirt open, buttons flying everywhere. 

“I bet Bruce is rough in bed,” he breathed in the dark-haired boy’s ear, voice low and husky. “Isn’t he?”

“Oh, yeah,” Tony agreed, head thrown back as Steve nipped at his neck and throat. “God, it’s so hot, he used to pin me with one arm without even trying and fuck me so hard I saw stars. Bet he’d have a challenge with you, though.” As Steve spoke, telling him all the things they could do with Bruce when they had him, Tony became a puddle of pleasure-filled goo at the mercy of his boyfriend’s hands and cock. He didn’t last long, neither of them did, and when they were sated and slumped together in a sweaty mess, Tony let his fingers sink into Steve’s hair, a long breath escaping him. “Damn, Bruce was right.” Steve raised an eyebrow, and Tony smirked. “Whatever it was bothering you, it sure as hell wasn’t the sex. That was amazing.” After a long, incredulous stare, Steve snorted.

“You thought I wasn’t happy with the sex? You are such an idiot.” He turned his head to catch Tony’s lips, humming into the kiss. “Which is why I honestly won’t mind if you don’t want to bring Bruce into what we have.” Tony raised an eyebrow.

“After all those things you just promised to do to me with him? You tease,” he accused, eyes narrowed. Steve laughed, burying his face in Tony’s neck, a grin on his face. 

“You are far too good for me, Tony Stark.” Tony rolled his eyes, hugging him closer.

“Steve, you are literally the human embodiment of physical perfection. Rethink that statement just a second.” Steve frowned, shaking his head a fraction.

“I mean it, Tony. Thank you for not being angry at me for this,” he murmured, shifting a little to get comfortable. Tony reached down to pull the duvet over them, smiling at the younger boy. 

“Steve, I agree with you on it, of course I’m not angry. Just surprised.” He settled down on his side facing the blonde, both pressed together to avoid falling out of the narrow bed. “So how should we do this? When the time comes, I mean.” Steve bit his lip, and Tony smirked. “You’ve thought about it, haven’t you? Go on, Rogers, tell me all your dirty, dirty fantasies. And go get your sketchbook.” Steve smiled, grabbing his wand off the nightstand and summoning his red sketchbook. Tony grinned, making grabby hands towards it, and Steve settled down, feeling a weight lift from his shoulders as he told Tony about all the things he’d dared to hope over the past few months. Tony listened patiently, amazed at how much Steve had been thinking about it, and more than a little turned on. Damn, he loved this man.

.-.-.

Usually, when Tony needed advice on something, he went to talk to Bruce or Steve. He’d already talked to Steve, and clearly talking to Bruce wasn’t an option; therefore, Pepper was next on the list. “Pay attention to me!” he whined, watching her file some of his and Bruce’s notes on their latest spell prototype. “I need your advice.”

“What did you blow up now?” the redhead asked with a sigh, raising an eyebrow at him. Tony shook his head, shuffling closer to her. There was no one else in the Room of Requirement with them, and he’d made sure everyone else was busy and not likely to interrupt them.

“I’m serious, Pep. Can we talk?” She frowned at his earnest tone, setting the file aside and turning to face him.

“Sure, Tony, what’s up?” 

“Steve wants to bring Bruce into our relationship. Like, in a threesome.” Before she could interrupt, Tony told her everything that Steve had said about how he felt about Bruce, and how they were almost dating anyway. Pepper listened without interruption or judgement, bless her heart, and gave him a long appraising look once he was finished. 

“Well, he has a point,” she remarked, and he looked at her inquiringly. “You’re both pretty much dating Bruce, just without all the benefits. You might as well get the benefits.” He blinked, stunned, making her laugh. “What? It’s true. Even when you and Bruce weren’t dating, you guys acted like you were, and even now when I walk in on the three of you cuddling it’s hard to tell whose hands are where. Don’t tell me you’re not still attracted to Bruce.”

“No, no, I definitely am,” he confirmed, remembering how easily he’d come with Steve talking about Bruce being in bed with them. “But… I always said, even when we were together, that it was friends with benefits. Platonic love. What if… what if that’s all it is? And Steve ends up loving him romantically but I don’t and then I end up breaking us all apart?” He was surprised at how easily the words came out, but he couldn’t stop them if he’d wanted to, and Pepper sighed, reaching out to hug him.

“Oh, Tony. You’re so stupid sometimes,” she murmured, cheek pressed to his hair. “For one, Steve would never choose Bruce over you in that situation, so don’t be an idiot. Secondly, are you really telling me you never felt romantically about Bruce? That your friendship with him is exactly the same as, say, your friendship with me? Or Rhodey?” Tony opened his mouth to reply, then closed it again, thinking about it. No, his friendship with Bruce wasn’t the same; Rhodey wasn’t really a cuddling kind-of guy, and Pepper didn’t cuddle with him often. And he didn’t get that comforting warm feeling when just sitting around and hanging out with Pep or Rhodey like he did with Bruce. A similar feeling that he got when just doing stuff with Steve… oh, shit.

“Shit,” he said aloud, the realisation smacking him in the face. Pepper smirked, looking smug.

“Imagine what it would be like to date both Bruce and Steve. Not just sex, but other relationship stuff. Actual dating,” she instructed him, going back to her filing. Tony let himself think about it, imagining kissing Bruce randomly like he did Steve, having both of them come stay with him over the summer. Going to bed together, waking up together. Hanging out and watching movies and doing science and just _being_ together. It… really wasn’t all that different to how they were now, just with more kissing. More closeness.

Then, of course, being Tony Stark, he let himself imagine what sex would be like with both of them, Steve’s fantasies fuelling most of it. Damn. “I gotta go, Pep. Boyfriends to find, wolves to seduce,” he declared, jumping to his feet and bending to kiss her forehead. “Thanks for the help.”

“Be gentle with him, Tony! You know what Bruce is like!” He waved a hand behind himself to let her know he’d heard, racing out of the room to go find Steve. He knew they couldn’t rush into things, but now he’d started thinking about it, he couldn’t stop.

He found Steve in the library with Bucky, Clint and Natasha, and the four looked up when Tony stopped by their table, out of breath. “Tony, what? I thought you were with Pepper — did you _run_ here?” Steve asked incredulously, brow furrowing in confusion.

“I need to talk to you,” Tony blurted, eyes on Steve. “About that thing. That we were talking about. The other night.” Well aware of the three other sets of eyes on him, he tried to be as vague as possible, and Steve’s eyes widened. 

“Oh, that thing, yeah. What about it?” 

“I thought about it. I’m up for it if you still are. I’m in,” Tony said firmly. Bucky groaned under his breath, burying his face in his hands, and Natasha smirked. Clint, however, just looked intent, and Tony remembered that the Hufflepuff had been the one to get Steve to think about his feelings to begin with. 

“Are… are you sure?” Steve asked, hope in his voice, and Tony nodded.

“One hundred percent. Let’s do this. Preferably as soon as possible.” Steve looked at his friends, biting his lip.

“Guys, do you mind if I…?” He gestured vaguely, and Bucky glanced up.

“Sure, go, do whatever kinky, depraved sex act you and Stark have planned, and for the love of Merlin do not give me details when it’s over. I’ll take your books back to Gryffindor.” Steve grinned, and Bucky held up a fist for him to bump as he stood. “See you, soldier.”

“Thanks, Buck. I’ll, uh, see you guys later,” Steve replied, earning a wink from Clint.

“Have fun.” Tony grabbed Steve’s hand, practically dragging him from the library and towards Ravenclaw.

“We can’t spring it on him just yet, Tony,” Steve murmured as they walked. “Not while we’re both so wound up, he’ll freak out. We need to act normal for a while longer.”

“Trust me, gorgeous, I have the perfect plan,” Tony insisted, flashing the blonde a smirk. “I meant it when I said I’d been thinking about it.” Steve grinned back, practically bouncing as he walked, and Tony wanted nothing more than to drag him back to the dorm and ravish him. Unfortunately, Bruce was back at the dorm. Hopefully, that soon wouldn’t be a problem.

.-.-.

Tony’s plan required they wait until the Friday evening, when they were all done with work and friends and were just back at the dorm, all bundled in Tony’s bed and cuddling. Tony and Steve could hardly relax at first, knowing what was — hopefully — going to happen, but once they were all tangled together it was easy enough to just let things go and doze in the comfort. They were in their usual position, with Bruce and Tony curled up on Steve’s chest, the blonde’s long arms encircling both of them. It was warm, and familiar, and yet after the images that had been rattling around Tony’s head the past two weeks, he couldn’t restrain his arousal. Bruce didn’t comment, though; it wasn’t the first time it had happened. It also clearly wasn’t going to be enough, and Tony discreetly tapped Steve on the shoulder, letting him know he was going ahead with the plan.

Still with his face pressed to Steve’s neck, Tony let the hand that was on Bruce’s hip slide upwards a little, sneaking under the werewolf’s t-shirt and caressing his back. Bruce shifted at the touch, frowning faintly, but Tony acted natural, letting his hand go back down until his fingers ghosted under the waistband of Bruce’s boxers. “Uh, Tony,” Bruce muttered softly, squirming at the touch. “That’s not Steve’s back.”

“I know,” Tony replied, hiding a smirk, bringing his hand around to Bruce’s front and walking his fingers up his friend’s chest, tweaking a nipple in a way he knew drove the Ravenclaw crazy. Bruce stifled a gasp, turning to glare at him.

“Tony!” he hissed. “What the hell are you doing? Your boyfriend is right here!”

“Oh, I’m enjoying the show,” Steve murmured, a smug smirk tugging at his lips. He loosened his arm around Bruce, resting a hand on the older boy’s bare thigh and stroking it with his thumb. “Just relax, Bruce. It was my idea, but Tony and I have been thinking about it for a while now. See, I noticed a while back that you, and me, and Tony; we’re practically all dating each other. But you don’t get any of the fun parts of dating, and we both really, really want you to,” he murmured, both he and Tony keeping their hands roaming, using their knowledge of the werewolf’s body to keep him calm and in place.

“You… what?” Bruce asked, perplexed. Tony smiled, leaning in to press butterfly kisses to his friend’s neck.

“We want you involved with us, Bruce,” he breathed, daringly trailing his hand over the front of Bruce’s boxers, smirking at the growing hardness he felt there. “I didn’t realise how much I wanted it until Steve brought it up a little while back, but if you want… we could make the three of us a permanent thing. Sex and more. Maybe not public to the school, because people are weird about this sort of stuff, but… we want you to be an equal part of our relationship.”

“You want me to be in a polyfidelitous triad with you?” Bruce asked, making Tony grin.

“Knew you’d know the word for it,” he murmured. “What do you say? You can totally bail if you’re not into it. No harm done, we won’t bring it up again. But… the offer is out there. We’d really like it if you said yes.” Leaning back a little, Tony could see the apprehension in Bruce’s eyes, and both of them were shifted as Steve moved to look at the werewolf properly. 

“No pressure, Bruce. I’ll admit, we’re not being all that fair; both Tony and I had a while to come to terms with it,” he confessed sheepishly. Tony smiled, running a hand up and down Bruce’s arm, cupping his shoulder. 

“Just think how amazing all three of us could be together, babe. You know you and me work well, and me and Steve work well. I think you and Steve could be pretty damn awesome if you gave it a shot. He’s kind-of in love with you,” he added with a wink. Steve flushed, but didn’t deny it.

“And… you?” Bruce asked hesitantly. Tony tried not to cheer at the hope in his friend’s voice; maybe he was actually coming around. 

“Bruce, honeybear, I’ve been in love with you for longer than I think I realise,” he admitted easily, smiling. “Turns out I was lying back when I said it was platonic. Who knew?” Bruce rolled his eyes, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

“You never did understand your feelings,” he teased lightly. Tony gave a mock-wounded look, resting a hand on the curve of Bruce’s hip.

“So are you in or out? Or do you want Steve and I to leave you alone for a while so you can think it over?” Bruce sighed turning to look at Steve.

“I’ve wanted this for months,” the blonde admitted freely. “But I’ll respect your decision.” They both waited, watching Bruce as he seemed to think things over, and Tony’s breath left his lungs as the curly-haired boy leant down, pressing his lips to Steve’s. Steve didn’t hesitate in deepening the kiss, humming into it and letting his hand slide up Bruce’s thigh to grip his ass gently. When they parted, both of them turned to smirk at Tony, who was sure he was drooling.

“Please do that again,” he requested, and Bruce laughed.

“Come here,” he urged, pulling Tony into a kiss that was familiar yet different, their tongues twining with ease. Tony could feel Steve’s hand on his back, and it only fuelled him on, knowing his boyfriend was getting off on him kissing Bruce.

“Is that a yes?” he asked when they parted, grinning at Bruce’s sparkling brown eyes.

“We should talk about things,” Bruce replied, though he was smiling. “But yes. I’m up for it if you are. But we should really figure out how things are going to work.”

“Here’s how it’s going to work,” Tony murmured, flexing his hips slowly against Bruce’s thigh. He grabbed his wand from underneath the pillow, and with a muttered spell Bruce’s bed shot across the room to press against his, giving them twice the space. “You and me and Steve are going to spend the entire evening having crazy hot sex and getting better acquainted. Then we’re going to pass out for a while. Then, in the morning, we’re going to text our friends and tell them we’re busy this weekend. Then we can talk. Then we go back to the crazy hot sex.” He wormed a hand underneath Bruce to slide into Steve’s boxers, gripping his length and making him buck up into Bruce’s leg, drawing a moan from both of them. “Any objections?”

“Not from me. Merlin, Tony, stop teasing.” Steve eased into the middle of the two bed and let Tony and Bruce move either side of him, allowing him to lift his hips and shimmy out of his boxers. Bruce’s eyes went wide. 

“I keep forgetting that the potion enhanced everything,” he mused, and Tony and Steve shared a smirk.

“Everything except that, gorgeous. Turns out scrawny Steve Rogers was hung like a horse.” Tony had been amazed the first time he’d seen Steve naked, and the blonde had embarrassedly mumbled apologies if he wasn’t big enough, as that area was the only thing the potion hadn’t changed. The image of the tiny, frail boy Steve had been with that monster between his legs had almost been enough to make Tony black out then and there. 

“Damn,” Bruce muttered, reaching out with a tentative hand to wrap it over Tony’s. “Well, I’d be an idiot to say no after that.” Tony beamed, relief and excitement making him giddy as he pounced on both of them, Steve equally enthusiastic. What better way to mark the start of a new relationship than with an entire weekend of sex and depravity with the men he loved?


	10. When I Get You Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Tony, Bruce and Steve a little preoccupied, Tasha, Clint and Phil take the time to catch up with Pepper. They say they don't gossip, but that's a lie.

The nest in the middle of the room was a huge giveaway that one of the occupants of the room was Clint Barton, and Clint was a little bit proud of that. He, Phil, Pepper and Tasha were sprawled out in the comfortable pillow-nest, taking sanctuary in the peace and quiet. They'd gotten used to hanging out as a group when Pepper and Tasha had been together, and as the two girls were still friends they all ended up gravitating together anyway. With Steve and Tony and Bruce still figuring out whatever the hell it was they wanted to be, contacting them wasn't really the best idea; they barely surfaced for classes, let alone socialising. Most of the other Gryffindors in their group were trying to figure out what the hell was going on between Thor and Loki, Darcy was hanging out with Loki, and Bucky, Rhodey and Peggy were doing something with Falsworth and the rest of Bucky's other friends. Clint still found it strange, how their little group tended to splinter off every now and then, but they all still spent plenty of time all together, and things were far less awkward between Jane and Thor by now.

Clint leaned into Phil's hand as it ran through his hair, watching Pepper doing something on her tablet and Tasha absently charming paper butterflies to flutter about and change colours, occasionally transforming into paper daggers and spearing the target on the wall. "It's hard to believe it's February already," he mused, having done a double-take when he'd seen the date that morning. "Feels like the year's barely started."

"Remember how this time last year everyone was going nuts over Valentine's Day?" Pepper remarked with a laugh, glancing up from her work. "I swear, you two were the only ones not freaking out."

"For everyone but us it was their first one properly together," Phil pointed out. Pepper and Tasha had gotten together in late January, and had both agreed they hadn't been together long enough for anything more than a card and some chocolate. "We'd done all our freaking out the year before." Clint snorted, a smile crossing his lips as he remembered the panic he'd been in about their Valentine's date and his present for Phil. But it had turned out great in the end; a quiet walk around the grounds to avoid all the chaos in Hogsmeade, a picnic by the lake, then to Clint's archery room for a lesson that devolved very quickly into making out and both of them coming in their pants.

"Is anyone even doing anything this year?" Tasha queried with raised eyebrows, and Clint shrugged.

"We're staying in for the night, unless Phil is planning a surprise for me," he replied, glancing up at his boyfriend.

"I've claimed this room, but just for movies and video games," Phil confirmed. "And Merlin knows what Tony and Steve have planned for the occasion." Clint frowned in confusion, then realised that of course, Tasha didn't know about Bruce. No one but he, Phil and Pepper knew, other than the three boys themselves.

"Weekend sex marathon, from what Tony last told me," Pepper informed them. "And something about chocolate body paint. I didn't ask." Clint snorted, smirking.

"Isn't that just like, a normal weekend for them?" Phil rolled his eyes, swatting him lightly, but Pepper giggled.

"I don't think anyone else has plans. Peggy's probably doing something with her boyfriend, and Bucky will no doubt be dragged out by whatever girl he has on his arm that week," Pepper continued, finally setting her tablet aside. "And I don't doubt Fandral will have a date."

"I dunno, Sif was talking about keeping them all in that weekend. Supporting Thor in solidarity, or something," Tasha cut in, sending a barrage of paper daggers towards the target. "So it looks like it'll be a quiet weekend all around. Unless you're Stark."

"Oh, Tony's always the exception. But I doubt Steve will be all that quiet either," Pepper added with a smirk, making Clint snicker.

"Well, as fun as it's been discussing our friends' sex lives, I have quidditch practice," Tasha declared, letting her paper butterflies fall to the floor as she got to her feet, wading out of the nest.

"At this time of night? What the hell?" Clint asked, eyebrows raised. It was only an hour until curfew.

"Maria wants us to get used to playing in the dark because the Gryffindor match is so late," she explained, heading around the edge of the nest to lean down and kiss his cheek, then Phil's. "Don't stay up too late, I'll see you all tomorrow."

"Don't break any fingers!" Pepper called after her, a fond smile on her face. Clearly Tasha would never live down breaking four fingers in the last practice before the Gryffindor match.

"She's up to something," Clint declared as soon as the Slytherin girl was gone. Pepper raised an eyebrow at him. "She's sneaking around about something. I don't know what, and I presume she'll tell me eventually, but she's definitely up to something."

"Don't pry into her business," Phil said quietly, a concerned look on his face.

"I won't, I won't. Like I said, I'll wait for her to tell me eventually," the archer assured, kissing Phil's cheek. "So, Pep, what's really going on with Stark and his harem? You have to know, you run his life."

"They've been surprisingly quiet about it, actually," Pepper replied, shrugging. "I went to hang out with them the other night so I could get Tony to look over some research submissions, and they really didn't seem to be much different to how they usually are, which says a lot about them. The only thing unusual was Steve and Bruce were cuddling in Tony's bed without him, and the trash was full of used condoms."

"Ew." Phil snorted at his boyfriend's mutter, amusement in his face. Clint figured he was probably thinking of their own waste paper basket full of condoms. "So they're all definitely screwing? About damn time. Bruce deserves a little love in his life."

"He does, but I can't help but worry," Pepper said, a frown tugging at her lips. "Tony's not exactly great with people."

"Oh, come on; if there's two people in the world he's not going to fuck up with, it's Steve and Bruce," Clint pointed out. "I'm happy for them, and I think they'll be fine. Stop mothering him." He paused, then smirked. "I wonder how it works between them. Like, do they take turns, or what?"

"I really don't think it's any of our business," Phil cut in quickly, sending Clint a pointed look. "Other than accepting it, being supportive and moving on. We don't even know if they're going to be open in front of us all."

"Neither Steve nor Tony will be able to keep their hands off Bruce long enough to keep it a secret from our whole group. They'd slip up within twenty minutes of the next movie night," Pepper remarked, smiling slightly. "They'll be open once they've figured it all out, I'm sure. We just have to be patient." She smiled, giving them both a knowing look as Clint tried and failed to hide how his hand was inching closer to Phil's ass. "And speaking of people who can't keep their hands off each other, I should get going."

"We're not _that_ bad," Clint whined, earning a raised eyebrow from the redhead.

"Clint, I can't even _see_ one of your hands right now, and I know that Phil's other one has been feeling up your thigh for the past ten minutes. I know when I've outstayed my welcome," she replied teasingly, getting to her feet. "Don't stay out too late, boys, it's class in the morning. Just because you're not on duty doesn't mean you can stay out all night," she scolded Phil, moving around the outside of the nest to kiss them both on the cheek, hugging Phil around the shoulders.

"I know, we'll be back before curfew," the older boy promised, hugging back with one arm. "Goodnight, Pepper."

"Night, Pep," Clint added, smiling. When she was gone, Clint turned to his boyfriend, hand heading back to Phil's ass. "We're not as bad as Stark," he maintained stubbornly, and Phil smirked.

"No one is as bad as Stark. But it's still terribly rude to start groping each other in front of friends," he reasoned, not surprised when the nest transformed into a king-sized bed underneath them. They'd found out long ago that trying to have sex in the nest was difficult.

"She's Pepper, it's fine," Clint replied flippantly, a smirk at his lips as he started to tug Phil's t-shirt over his head. Phil helped him, leaning in for a kiss once his chest was bare, hands creeping under Clint's own shirt. "Shame it's too late for us to have our own weekend sex marathon. Maybe next weekend."

"Can't, I'm on duty," Phil replied, pulling Clint's shirt off of him. Clint pouted; prefect duty ruined all of his plans. "I'm sure we'll fit plenty of sex into our Valentine's Day plans," he promised, making the younger Hufflepuff brighten.

"Excellent." He smirked, winking at Phil. "But how about that, huh? Wanna go for a threeway, follow Stark's new trend?" he joked, helping Phil out of his jeans. The taller boy paused, pulling Clint up to face him with an oddly serious expression on his face.

"It's not that I don't believe in being able to love more than one person, because I do, but I personally could never even think about loving anyone as much as I love you, and I don't see the point in adding people to sex just to spice things up a little. I have no need for anyone but you, in both my bed and my heart," he said softly, completely honest. Clint actually felt himself choking up a little, speechless at the intensity of Phil's words. He'd only been joking about the threesome.

"See, things like that are the reason all of our friends are convinced we're going to get married straight after I graduate," he remarked lightly, pressing a kiss to his lips to show he reciprocated everything Phil had said. He was never good with expressing his emotions, but luckily Phil could read him like a book and he very rarely needed to. His boyfriend knew exactly how he felt about him.

"I've already got the ring picked out," Phil retorted with a wink, smirking. Clint blinked, stunned.

"Are you joking? Because sometimes I can't tell when you're joking and when you're not." Not that he ever considered not marrying Phil after graduation, but… he was fifteen. He had two and a half years before graduation. Picking out the ring already was just a little premature.

Phil kissed him again, pushing his own jeans down his hips, and distracted Clint by gripping him through his boxers. "You'll never know," he replied mysteriously, then smirked wider, easing Clint's underwear down his legs. "If you want to have sex, you'd better stop staring and get on with it or we'll have no time for anything but a quickie." Clint grinned wolfishly at the challenge, reaching for the lube and condoms that appeared on the nightstand beside the bed.

"Challenge accepted, gorgeous." As Clint kissed him hard, working on divesting him of his underwear, he mentally talked himself out of searching Phil's stuff the next time he was alone in his boyfriend's dorm room. If Phil did have a ring, he'd rather it stayed a surprise; it wasn't like the older boy was going to give it to him any sooner than his graduation. Having it picked out just meant that he'd seen the perfect one and wanted to keep it safe until it was time. Though… to see the perfect ring, he'd had to have been in a jewellery store to begin with.

Clint shook himself mentally, concentrating more on what Phil was doing with his hands. He didn't want to know whether Phil was joking or not. He could wait a couple of years to find out.


	11. Elephant in the Room

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thor and Loki have been edging around the subject for long enough. Finally in private, they decide they need to talk, and things are resolved

Enjoying the rare silence of the corridors around him, Thor wandered with his hands in his pockets, his tie loose around his neck and his shirt untucked. Classes were over for the day, so no one would chastise him for having a scruffy uniform. 

His last lesson of the day had been Muggle Studies, which was the only one he didn’t share with any of his friends, and as such he had no one to walk back to Gryffindor with. Instead he escaped the horde of girls that tried to follow him out of the classroom and strike up conversation with him, ducking behind a tapestry until they were gone. None of them had said more than two words to him before he’d broken up with Jane, and that wasn’t the type of person he wanted to associate with. Besides, he hadn’t had time alone in a long while; all his friends seemed to think that he shouldn’t be left on his own in his ‘delicate state’. He appreciated the thought, really, but it had been months since the end of his and Jane’s relationship, and he was no longer as upset about it as he had been. Truthfully, he could see where Jane was coming from. Even if they had stayed together, the relationship would probably be over by now. Thor’s thoughts of Loki were definitely not the type of thoughts you had about someone who wasn’t your partner.

Sighing to himself as his mind turned to Loki, as it often did, he absently wondered what the younger boy was up to. He hadn’t spoken to Loki for a few days, both of them being so busy with work — and, more to the point, neither of them really knew what to say to each other. The awkward indecision was almost worse than when they had been actively avoiding each other, both wanting to say something but not sure quite how to say it. Especially since Thor had finally realised that his feelings were not those of brotherly affection towards the dark-haired Slytherin.

Reaching the Room of Requirement, Thor glanced at his watch; he doubted anyone else would be using it at this time. Most of them would probably be going to dinner. It was the perfect opportunity to get some time to himself, he could go raid the kitchen later. No doubt the house elves would be delighted to see him. Pacing outside the hidden door, he focused on a place to relax, checking the corridor to see no one was watching him before slipping into the room.

It was not as he had imagined it to be, though was still very close; similar to the library at home, but with more green. Frowning in confusion, Thor wondered if the room was faulty, before he spotted a familiar head of jet-black hair over the top of the sofa. “Oh, Loki,” he greeted, sheepish. “Forgive me, I had assumed the room would be unoccupied. I can leave, if you would prefer.”

Loki glanced up, a tentative smile crossing his lips at the sight of Thor. “No, you may stay if you wouldn’t rather be elsewhere. I was just reading.” His smile grew wry, and he shifted to get a better look at the Gryffindor. “And forgive me for finally breaking our unspoken truce, but I think we’ve been skirting the issue long enough now. We need to talk.” Thor felt his cheeks flush, and shrugged. There was no point in playing oblivious, in pretending he had no idea what the younger boy was talking about. Loki knew him better than to believe it.

“I think you’re right. May I?” he asked, gesturing to the space beside Loki, and the Slytherin nodded, shifting over so Thor could join him. Thor sank down onto the sofa, running his fingers through his hair. “Where do we even start?” he mused, leaning back against the armrest so he was facing his adoptive brother.

“Well, you could start by letting me know what I did so wrong that even now you’re single, you won’t contemplate having a relationship with me,” Loki asked plainly, prompting Thor’s eyebrows to shoot up.

“Pardon? Loki, I assure you, you have done nothing wrong. It is not that I won’t contemplate it; if anything, I am contemplating it far too much,” he insisted quickly, reaching forward to place a hand on Loki’s knee, eyes imploring. “Do not think you have wronged me in any way, my raven; you have done just the opposite. My… reticence is no fault of yours, but of my own. I needed time to organise my thoughts before making a decision. I would not want to commit to anything until I am absolutely sure; the last thing I want to do is play with your feelings.” Loki pursed his lips, looking at him skeptically.

“I was under the impression that matters of the heart weren’t the sort of thing to be organised,” he commented, making Thor fight a smile. Loki was so very obvious sometimes, even when he thought he was being aloof. It was charming.

“Trust me, Loki,” he said softly, squeezing the younger boy’s knee. “It is not my heart that needs organising. It knows exactly what it wants, but unfortunately my mind must remind it of the harsh realities. There is no doubt that I love you, and I do not doubt either that you feel the same way. But regardless… there is the matter of our parents to consider, and the reactions of those who would oppose us. You are young enough for it to be considered me taking advantage, and, well, with our legal relation being what it is…”

“Does it really matter, what others might think of us?” Loki protested earnestly. “I believe Mother would only want us to be happy, and Odin can go fuck a centaur for all I care. If it would please you, I can get an emancipation as soon as I am sixteen; the bonds of my adoption would be null and void, and then the only one of your problems would be age. Which is, unfortunately, something I cannot change. However, it will hardly matter once we are both of age.” Thor chuckled, shuffling in closer.

“Oh, my Loki. As always, when the world does not suit your will, you will bend it until it does,” he mused fondly. Loki’s pale cheeks flushed pink, but a pleased smile flickered at his lips. “An emancipation would help, if you are not opposed. But while I would like for it to not be so, one of us needs to consider the issues at hand.”

“For once, you are the more responsible of us,” Loki teased, his smile widening as he moved until their knees were gently pressing against each other. Thor sighed, his body practically aching with the need to have Loki close to him. He may not have known what he was missing for all these years, but now he did, it was so very close, and he just wanted to stop worrying and take what was offered. 

“It had to happen eventually,” he returned lightly, finally giving in and reaching out a long arm to wrap around Loki’s shoulders, pulling him into his side. “I’m sorry if I made you feel like I was rejecting you,” he murmured, tucking the smaller boy’s head under his chin. “If I had known that was how it came across, I would have said something sooner.” He smiled as Loki relaxed into him, one hand coming up to play with his tie. 

“You’re forgiven, I suppose,” Loki replied, a playful tone to his voice that assured Thor he was only teasing. “But regardless, if the age issue is a problem for you, would you prefer to wait until I am older?” Thor frowned thoughtfully, hand absently stroking Loki’s arm. 

“We were never really friends,” he mused quietly. “Even as children, we always seemed to have something to prove to each other. Maybe we could try that, until your age is less problematic. Attempt to get to know each other better as friends before anything more develops.” Loki twisted in his arms, looking up to meet his gaze.

“Thor, how could I possibly know you better than I do already? We have shared everything, even if we did not realise,” he murmured, one hand on Thor’s shoulder to steady himself. “I see where you are coming from, but… I admit freely that I could not possibly be just friends with you when I have to try so hard not to kiss you breathless.” Thor grinned at the frank confession, mischief in his blue eyes.

“I said we could try being friends. I never said we could not kiss,” he retorted, drawing a quiet laugh from his companion.

“What part of a friendship involves kissing? Well, unless you’re Stark and Banner,” Loki added dryly, making Thor’s grin widen.

“Maybe I meant more of a relationship than a friendship,” he amended sheepishly. “But we must not take things too quickly. You mean more to me than I have words to express, and I do not want to jeopardise that.” Yes, he had loved Jane, and part of him still did. But Loki had been there through everything, his silent support even when Thor had thought he could stand on his own two feet, and there was nothing that could compare to that. 

“I have waited years to even have the chance to talk amiably with you without the risk of alienating you by admitting my feelings,” Loki told him, eyes bright. “I can surely wait a while longer. I know it will be worth it.” 

Unable to resist, Thor leaned in to press their lips together, finally confirming to himself that yes, he was going to do this. He was going to be in a relationship with his adoptive brother. He was going to allow himself to feel what he had hidden and denied and not noticed for so long. He had spent long enough mulling it over and trying to convince himself that he wasn’t in love with Loki; why bother trying any longer when it was clearly futile?

Loki kissed back eagerly, hand moving to cup Thor’s jaw and pull him in closer. Thor swiped a tongue over the Slytherin’s lips, begging for entrance, and was rewarded as they parted without hesitation. Merlin, he could spend all day doing this. Despite Loki’s inexperience, he wasn’t shy in the slightest, and Thor pressed their foreheads together when they eventually parted. “Yes, I think there should definitely be as many repeats of that as we can possibly manage,” he murmured, making Loki laugh. 

“I’m sure I can oblige,” he drawled in reply. The hand on Thor’s cheek slid up into his hair, tangling in the long blonde strands. “Stay and sit with me a while,” he requested. “It has been far too long since we have spent time together without those giggling lunatics you call friends.”

“They are your friends too, now,” Thor pointed out, sounding pleased. “And speaking of them, are you not meant to be spending time with them? Surely Darcy will be worried should you not appear for dinner, and Natasha is growing fond of you.”

“Darcy knows I am taking time to myself,” the Slytherin assured. “And everyone else seems too busy with each other to concern themselves with my whereabouts. There’s something about this time of year that sends everyone into a frenzy.” It was only just March, and for most students the studying chaos was only just beginning. Thor could hardly believe how fast time had flown; how had he managed to leave Loki hanging for over six months? 

“But how can you be taking time to yourself if I stay with you?” he asked with a raised eyebrow, grinning when Loki rolled his eyes and poked him in the shoulder.

“Don’t be daft, Thor, it hardly suits you. You know damn well you don’t count in that scenario; there is seldom a time where I wouldn’t prefer your company over my own. Unless you have something else to be getting to? Our friends are more likely to notice your absence than mine.” Thor’s grin widened at the use of ‘our’, and he shook his head.

“Despite mine and Jane’s parting being five months ago, they seem to think I am still mourning it. None of them seem willing to question what I do, at the moment,” he reasoned. Beginning to lose feeling in his arm, he shifted them both to be more comfortable, his legs stretched out along the sofa and Loki on his chest.

“Jane spoke to me, you know. Over Christmas,” Loki admitted, making Thor glance down in surprise. “She actually encouraged me to talk to you. I believe her words were, ‘if I can’t make him happy anymore, I think you’ve got a pretty good shot’. Presumably she is not too heartbroken still.” The blonde’s lips pursed, trying not to show his astonishment too blatantly. He and Jane were back on fairly cordial terms, if a little stilted, but he never would have expected her to actually talk Loki towards dating Thor. He really needed to give the girl more credit, and possibly have a chat with her to clear the air. He missed her friendship more than any other part of their relationship; she had been his advisor in many difficult situations. 

“I am always happy when you are near, my raven,” he replied earnestly, smiling. Loki leaned up to kiss him once more, the smile on his face reaching his eyes in a way that stole Thor’s breath. 

“And I could not possibly be sour when you kiss me so readily. Perhaps, should you do so often enough, you may melt the famed silver casing of my tongue,” he murmured in response. Thor chuckled, twirling his adoptive brother’s dark hair around his fingers. 

“You would not be Loki without that silver tongue of yours, and I would not have you any other way. Kissing you, however, is definitely something I can manage.” Loki smirked, the expression happier than Thor had seen him in a long while, and he had to resist the urge to kiss the younger boy again. He got the feeling that taking things slowly would be far harder than he anticipated.


	12. House Rivalry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Slytherin/Ravenclaw quidditch match pits Tasha and Tony against each other in a battle for the cup, and their friends don’t know who to support. Well, they do; they just don’t want to admit to choosing sides.

Phil sat patiently on the bench at the Hufflepuff table, trying not to move as his cheeks were painted. Clint on one side, a hand on Phil’s thigh as he carefully outfitted him with a green and silver snake, while Steve on his other side painted what was no doubt going to be an astonishingly accurate Ravenclaw crest. 

“You, uh, okay there, Phil?” Pepper asked bemusedly, her face free of paint and the only house adornment that of her own yellow and black. He tried to smile at her, only to get swatted by Clint for moving.

“Fine,” he replied, trying to move his mouth as little as possible. “They were arguing, it was the best way to settle it.” Pepper snickered, turning back to her breakfast with an amused shake of her head.

It was, of course, the Slytherin vs Ravenclaw quidditch match. The points were so tight in the cup already, every team needed to do their absolute best to have a chance at winning. Tony, Natasha and Jane were already in uniform, eating their high-energy breakfasts and trying to avoid discussing team tactics. They probably should have been sat with their teams at their own house tables, but the rest of their teammates knew better. On quidditch days, all of their group ate together before the friendly house rivalry began.

“We should probably get going,” Tony declared from Steve’s other side, pushing his empty plate aside. “Give enough time to put our robes on and let food settle before the match.” Jane and Tasha nodded, finishing their own breakfasts, and Clint paused in his painting to reach over and hug his best friend around the shoulders.

“Kick their asses, Nat,” he urged her, making her smile. 

“I will,” she promised, bending to press a brief kiss to Phil’s hair. “Thank you for the support, even if you are sitting on the fence for this one,” she teased him, and he grinned.

“Good luck out there. Try and catch the snitch; Stark has been smug enough as it is lately.” Ever since things between Tony, Steve and Bruce had settled down into what seemed to be a comfortable triad relationship — Phil wasn’t technically meant to know, as they hadn’t come clean to the rest of their friends, but he figured they wouldn’t mind Clint having told him — all three boys had been even happier than usual, it showing in the form of six new Stark Industries breakthroughs thanks to both Tony and Bruce, and almost a whole sketchbook full of incredible art from Steve. He couldn’t help but wonder when the rest of their group would catch on enough to actually ask them about it.

“Hey!” Tony protested, mock-hurt on his face. “Oh, I see where your loyalties lie. Here I thought we had something special.” Phil snorted, raising an eyebrow at the Ravenclaw as Steve and Clint both finished their artwork, setting the facepaints they had borrowed from Darcy back in their box.

“I am completely impartial,” he assured, deadpan. Tony gave him a shrewd look, bending to peck Bruce on the cheek and then kiss Steve’s lips, running a hand through blonde hair with a smirk.

“Good luck, Tony,” Steve murmured fondly, he and Bruce both with Ravenclaw colours on their face, Tony’s scarf wrapped around his neck.

“Fly well, both of you,” Bruce added, reaching to squeeze Jane’s shoulders with a smile. Saying their goodbyes to the rest of the group, the three quidditch players left the hall, and Phil snorted as he saw the rest of the Ravenclaw team suddenly rushing their food upon seeing their captain leave. The Slytherin team were all sat with Maria at their table, and looked to be finishing up anyway. 

“So who do you think will actually win today?” Bucky asked, leaning over Peggy to get some more bacon, ignoring her rolling her eyes at him. 

“It’s pretty evenly split, could go either way,” Phil replied with a shrug, free to eat now that his face was painted. He didn’t really understand the hype about quidditch, but went to all the matches out of support for his friends. If so many of them weren’t in their respective house teams, he didn’t think he’d bother. 

“We should start heading down, get good seats,” Bruce declared, checking his watch. “The match will be starting soon.” Glancing around, Phil noticed that several other students were making their way out of the hall, and got to his feet. Clint’s hand slipped into his, squeezing gently, and the younger Hufflepuff grinned at him, bumping their shoulders together. 

“It’s gonna be a good match,” he declared firmly, excitement in his voice. “I can feel it.” Phil smiled back, lacing his fingers tighter with Clint’s. As they walked down to the pitch, their group split into two smaller groups; the Gryffindors plus Darcy and Loki went around to the other side of the stands with the rest of their house, while Phil, Clint, Steve, Bruce, Rhodey and Pepper all stuck together to head to the Hufflepuff stands, Steve and Bruce deciding to stay in neutral grounds. As much as Bruce liked quidditch, he didn’t really like cheering for one friend’s house over another, but it was different when Tony was playing. He’d allowed Steve to paint a Ravenclaw crest on his cheek, and was smiling as he walked close enough to the tall blonde that it looked like they were holding hands. 

“Kinda cute, aren’t they?” Pepper murmured under her breath, her eyes also on Bruce and Steve. Phil smiled, and Clint sniggered.

“Cute? They’re practically dripping sugar,” Rhodey muttered with a roll of his eyes, answering Phil’s thoughts as to whether the younger Hufflepuff knew. Of course he did; he and Tony had been best friends since they were toddlers. Even though he tended to spend more time with his yearmates instead of their group to ‘avoid the crazy’ as he put it, he was still definitely in the loop. “I’m hoping this is just a honeymoon phase and they’ll get over it soon, because it’s getting ridiculous. You should see them when they’re just around people who’re in the know, they’re twenty times worse.” 

There had been only one group get-together since the shift in the boys’ relationship, with everyone being so busy with their own things, and while Phil had noticed the three being even closer, it really wasn’t all that different to how they usually acted. It would probably take two or three more movie nights before anyone else began to notice, and Phil doubted they would want to keep it secret that long anyway. 

“You’re all looking very serious,” Bruce commented, startling Phil when he realised the Ravenclaw had walked closer to them as they’d gotten to the stands. “What’s up?”

“Nothing, nothing,” Clint assured with a smile. “Just wondering when you two and Stark will tell the others.” Bruce flushed, and Steve bit his lip, his hand on the small of Bruce’s back.

“We’ve been talking about it,” the blonde admitted. “We thought we might need some time, but it really hasn’t taken that much adjustment. You were right when you said we were all practically dating anyway.”

“So it’s going well, then?” Phil asked with a raised eyebrow, trying not to look like he was too concerned about them. As much as he pretended they all annoyed the crap out of him, they were his best friends, and he wanted them to be happy. Bruce and Steve shared a look, both grinning.

“Yeah,” Bruce assured softly. “It’s… really, really great. And I think we’ll be telling the others soon.” The conversation was interrupted as a loud horn sounded, warning that the match was about to start, and they all hurried up the stairs to get to the stands, shuffling over to their seats at the very front. Surrounded by Hufflepuffs waving flags from both houses, Phil couldn’t help but smile at the bright grin that took over Clint’s features as he and Steve immediately leant against the railing, peering down at where both teams were stood on pitch with their brooms at the ready. Rhodey called a quick goodbye to them, heading to join his other Hufflepuff friends higher up in the stands, leaving Pepper, Phil and Bruce sat together. 

“Well, that’s them gone for the rest of the match,” Pepper remarked with a grin, gesturing to where Steve and Clint leaned right up on the railing to the point of almost falling off, cheering and whooping as the quaffle was thrown high into the air and the match began.

“Come on, Phil; Tasha will know if you don’t cheer for her!” Clint called, glancing over his shoulder at his boyfriend. Phil rolled his eyes, staying put in his seat. He could see Natasha circling the pitch, completely ignoring Tony as he did the same thing, both on the hunt for the snitch. Phil knew neither of them would catch it this early; both houses wanted as many points as possible before the snitch was caught, to get a decent lead over everyone else.

“She’s not even doing anything yet!” he pointed out, folding his arms over his chest. The weather was starting to turn, but it was early morning, and still fairly cold. 

“Besides, Phil can’t cheer for Tasha as he’s going to be cheering for Tony, right?” Steve argued lightly, earning a snort from Clint.

“Not if he wants sex tonight, he’s not,” he muttered, and it was Phil’s turn to blush. He glared at Bruce and Pepper, who were chuckling quietly. 

“Bruce, come on,” Steve urged, holding out a hand and turning bright blue puppy-eyes on his boyfriend. “Come heckle Slytherins with me.”

“I— but— ugh, fine,” Bruce relented, useless against the pleading power of Steve’s gaze. Getting to his feet, he squeezed in between Steve and Clint, the Gryffindor’s arm sliding around his waist as they cheered on Jane and the other Ravenclaw chasers darting towards the goals, quaffle flitting between them. 

“I hope they’re prepared for when the entire school clocks on,” Pepper murmured, winding an arm through Phil’s and leaning into him for warmth. “Because the way they act, they’ll slip up sooner or later.”

“We’ve only got a little over a year left,” Phil pointed out. “And Tony is the richest man in the wizarding world. I doubt anyone will say anything too bad about them. Especially not with the amount of people willing to hex them if they did.” Pepper smirked, hand automatically going to her wand.

“Damn right I would,” she muttered, a protective glint in her eyes. A cheer went up as Ravenclaw scored, and Clint cursed loudly, making Phil smile in amusement. “Merlin, I still can’t believe it’s March already. This year’s gone by so fast.”

“Next year will go even faster,” he replied knowingly. “Then we’ll be graduated before you know it. Out in the big wide world.” Pepper hummed, resting her head on his shoulder.

“Are you dreading it as much as I am?” she asked wryly, and he barked out a laugh.

“Oh, definitely. It’s going to be terrible, and not just because I’ll be away from Clint. I have to get a _job_ ,” he groaned, shaking his head. He was in no way looking forward to graduation, which he never would have imagined at the beginning of his school career. If they were all leaving at the same time, it might not have been such of a scary prospect, but he was jealous of the half of their friend group who got to stay another year, or even two in Darcy and Loki’s case. He wasn’t ready to be a functioning member of society just yet.

“You know Tony will employ you,” Pepper pointed out reasonably. “If you asked him. Hell, I think he plans on snapping up half our year.” 

“I couldn’t,” Phil protested, shaking his head. “I don’t think working admin for Stark Industries would really be my thing, and I’d like to get a job through my own merit rather than because of a friend.” Secretly, he was hoping for a Ministry job, maybe with the DMLE. But he’d need damn good NEWT results for that.

Clint turned to look at them both as Slytherin scored to make it 70-60 in Slytherin’s favour, scowling at the pair of them as he realised they weren’t paying attention to the match. “God, you two are so boring!” he groused, glaring lightly at them and reaching back to tug Phil’s arm, dragging them both to the railing. “Come watch, it’s got to be more interesting than whatever you were talking about.”

“We were talking about Tony wanting to hire me after graduation,” Phil replied, obligingly wrapping his arms around Clint from behind, propping his chin on the shorter boy’s shoulder so he could still see the pitch. Bruce welcomed Pepper in between him and Phil, shrugging off his coat to wrap around her shoulders and waving off her protests. 

“Oh, Merlin, please don’t go work for him, you sell-out,” Clint muttered, making Phil snort.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to,” he assured dryly. “Pepper was just saying it’s an option.”

“Yeah, well it’s not. Now stop talking about graduation and watch the match so I can pretend you’re never leaving.” There was a slight waver to Clint’s voice, and Phil kissed his cheek lightly, paying attention to the quidditch as asked. It did seem to be a close match, the quaffle flying up and down the pitch but never quite making it to the goals. Tony and Tasha were still drifting, keeping their eyes peeled, and Phil’s arms tightened automatically when he felt Clint tense. “Come on, Tash, it’s right there,” the fifth year murmured, and Phil raised an eyebrow.

“You’ve seen the snitch?” he asked softly, not wanting to alert Steve, who was cheering for Ravenclaw to level the score. Clint nodded, raising a hand discreetly to point towards the Ravenclaw end of the pitch. It took Phil several moments, but eventually he spotted it, the small glint of gold that darted around near the stands. Looking back at the two seekers, his eyes went wide when he saw Tony turn first, chest almost flat to his broom as he raced towards the snitch. Breath catching in his throat, he looked over to Natasha, relief flooding him when he saw her immediately turning to follow Tony, clearly realising he wasn’t feinting. Vaguely hearing the commentator talking about the two seekers, he held Clint tight as his boyfriend practically climbed over the railing to cheer Tasha on.

“Go Tony! Come on!” Pepper screamed beside them, Bruce and Steve also egging on their boyfriend, and Phil rolled his eyes.

“Come on, Tasha!” he yelled, cheering along with Clint. The crowd was going insane as the two seekers raced towards the quickly moving snitch, the rest of the match forgotten by even the rest of the players. Jane held the quaffle loosely under one arm, hovering in mid air and watching the chase intently. Phil murmured encouragements as the pair drew closer and closer, Tony just edging out over Tasha, his arm outstretched. His broom was, of course, of his own creation — broom-crafting was something he wanted SI to look more into once he left Hogwarts — and now he’d gotten the spells right, it outstripped Natasha’s. But her flying skill was immense, and so even her slight handicap wasn’t enough to rule her out completely. 

The two ducked and weaved around each other as they followed the snitch behind the goalposts, turning sharply between two of them. Phil smirked when he saw Tasha lightly elbowing Tony out of the way when he got a little too close, but it didn’t put him off for long. Clint groaned loudly as the Ravenclaw _just_ edged forward, hand closing around the snitch before Natasha could do anything about it. A huge cheer went up from the stands, and Phil glanced aside to see Steve jumping up and down in his excitement, hugging Bruce tightly and just barely remembering to kiss his cheek instead of his lips. Pepper squealed as the blonde hugged her too, and Phil hugged Clint tighter around the waist, kissing his jaw. 

“Can’t win them all,” he murmured consolingly. “And they still got seventy points towards the cup tally.”

“Yeah,” Clint agreed, turning in his arms now that the match was over, not wanting to watch the Ravenclaw team do their victory lap. “But now I owe Steve two galleons.” Phil snorted, looking to the Gryffindor, who was beaming widely as he held out a hand, one arm slung around Bruce’s waist. 

“Pay up, Hawkeye,” he urged, raising one eyebrow. Clint scowled, digging into his pocket for the money, and Phil hid his grin; at least Steve was too nice to be particularly smug about it. 

“Don’t look at me like that, Phil; just because you don’t understand quidditch,” Clint grumbled, poking his boyfriend’s shoulder.

“I do understand quidditch, I just don’t understand how it turns you all into children,” Phil retorted playfully, smiling. The crowd were beginning to filter out, plenty no doubt heading to Ravenclaw for the victory party. The win had sent Ravenclaw to the top of the table, and Slytherin would have to beat Hufflepuff by at least one hundred and sixty in order to even have a chance of challenging them. Clint wasn’t going to let that happen — Natasha might be his best friend, but on the pitch they were sworn enemies — so Slytherin were pretty much out of the running. 

“Well, you’re stuck with all of us, so I guess you’ll just have to suck it up and watch quidditch,” Clint teased. “Now come on, let’s go down and wait for the others to get finished,” he urged, sliding a hand into Phil’s. The five of them joined the crowd of students shuffling towards the stairs, wanting to get down to linger outside the changing rooms until Tasha, Tony and Jane were finished. Most of the Slytherin team would probably end up coming to the party, and Phil doubted they’d be too devastated over it. He knew most people had assumed that with Tony Stark as captain, Ravenclaw would wipe the floor with everyone this year; the fact that everything was so close was impressive in itself. 

“Well, there’s always next year,” Phil remarked, and Clint smirked.

“You kidding me? Next year is _ours_ , damn it! We’ve not won the cup since before I joined the team, and I’ll be damned if I have to wait for all you dinosaurs to graduate before I can rub it in your faces,” he declared, making the older Hufflepuff laugh.

“Then I look forward to the victory party you organise as team captain next year,” he retorted, watching Clint’s grin grow even wider. The archer was desperately hoping to get the badge, as he and Rhodey would be the oldest players on the team next year. Phil was privately confident that he would get it. 

“Hurry up, slow pokes, or you’ll miss the party!” Steve called, reaching back to pull them further into the crowd leaving the stadium.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. We’re not in any hurry to watch you make out with Tony all night,” Clint jibed, watching as both Bruce and Steve blushed, looking away. Phil smirked, leaning in to whisper in Clint’s ear.

“How about we ditch the party as soon as Tony and Jane will let us and lock my roommates out of the dorm all night?” he drawled, feeling Clint stiffen in his embrace, a slow smirk crossing his lips as his eyes darkened with lust.

“Baby, you have the _best_ ideas.”


	13. Coming of Age

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony Stark’s Birthday Extravaganza is all anyone at Hogwarts currently cares about. Tony left all the planning to Pepper, so he knows it’ll be epic.

"I'll make it worth your while," Tony drawled, leaning back in his chair and eyeing the man sat opposite him. "I'll actually try not to blow up the labs next year. I'll attend class instead of ditching to go make shit because I already know the material. Hell, I'll _tutor_ kids. Or I could just pay you."

"While your offer is… tempting — though even I'm not enough of a bastard to inflict you on some poor brats in need of tutoring — I really couldn't give a damn what you do so long as you pay for it all yourself, do all the clean-up without getting me involved, finish up by 2am, and keep the alcohol away from anyone under fifteen." Tony blinked, staring at his headmaster, who was looking bored with him already. Tony had only been in his office for five minutes; that had to be a new record.

"Well, yeah, that was the plan to begin with," he replied with a shrug. "Fifteen? Really? Damn, Darcy's gonna be pissed." Fury smirked, arms folding over his chest.

"Fifteen," he confirmed. "Lewis has problems, tell her to take it up with me. Now get out of my goddamn office before something spontaneously combusts from your mere presence." Tony snorted, unable to help himself, and jumped up from his chair, offering an elaborate bow to the older man.

"Pleasure doing business with you." Heading towards the revolving staircase that would take him out of the Headmaster's office, Tony's smirk widened and he pulled his phone from his pocket, pressing speeddial 3. If he was going to be planning the most awesome party to ever have partied at Hogwarts, he would need one person, and one person only. "Hey, Pepper?" he greeted, stepping off the staircase with his phone to his ear. "I need your help with something."

.-.-.

Fingers carding absently through Bruce's hair, Tony craned his neck to look at the long list on the parchment Pepper was writing on. "Wow. We really need all that stuff for a party?" he asked with raised eyebrows, and the redhead fixed him a look.

"Yes, Tony. Haven't you ever planned a party before?" He gave her a pointed look, making her huff. "Of course you haven't," she muttered, rolling her eyes. "Look, I'll tell you what; I'll take care of everything. It'll be my birthday present to you. Just leave it to me, and all you have to do is turn up on time." Tony went wide-eyed, a grin tugging at his lips.

"Seriously?" he asked, and Pepper nodded. "Wow. You are _so_ awesome, seriously, best friend ever, I am totally getting you expensive shoes for your birthday, you wonderful, wonderful woman." He leaned over, ignoring Bruce's squawk of protest as his head was jarred, and kissed Pepper on the cheek, grin widening when she laughed and jokingly pushed him away.

"Just don't make me regret it," she replied lightly, smiling. Tony winked at her, nudging Bruce on the shoulder.

"I won't. Come on, Bruce, let's go upstairs before Pep can change her mind. You can hang here with Jane, right Pep? Girl time?"

"Hmm? But Tony, we're meant to be waiting for Steve." Their third partner was up drawing on the astronomy tower, something about the sunset being particularly great that day.

"I'm sure someone will send him up to us when he gets here," Tony assured, dragging the groggy werewolf to his feet. "G'night, Jane, Pepper. Have fun planning my birthday party." With a smirk on his face, ignoring the exasperated look the two girls shared between them, he and Bruce retreated to their dorm room, his hand already tugging at his boyfriend's tie before they could even get to privacy. Really, trying to keep their thing a secret was just becoming far, far too much effort. Hopefully soon he'd be able to convince Steve that people really didn't care that much, and they could tell their friends and let the rest of the world draw their own conclusions. It was none of their business, and the three of them didn't have anything to hide.

"Is it wise to let the girls plan everything? They could turn it around on you, make it some formal dinner party," Bruce pointed out, not protesting when Tony pulled his jumper over his head.

"No, Pepper wouldn't do that to me, not this year," he insisted confidently. He was turning seventeen, becoming of age in wizarding society. Pepper knew how important it was to him to have some crazy teenage fun before he took his place as an adult in society. Despite being emancipated for a while, he couldn't take up a lot of his responsibilities until he was of age, and he was both excited and dreading it. "Now come on, why don't we give Steve a nice surprise when he gets here," he urged with a soft smirk, leaning in for a kiss as his fingers worked Bruce's shirt buttons.

"Does that surprise involve the two of us naked?" Bruce asked knowingly, undoing Tony's belt as he spoke, the two of them walking towards the bed. They'd done away with the two singles weeks ago, instead having just one large bed for the three of them. It was technically against school rules, but whatever. Tony pushed Bruce down onto the bed, kicking his trousers off before crawling on top of him.

"Bruce, babe, you know me so well."

.-.-.

Two weeks later, Tony woke up on the morning of his seventeenth birthday, bare-ass naked between his two equally naked boyfriends. Which, in his opinion, was the best way to start the day. Tilting his head, he smiled when he met Steve's sleepy-eyed gaze, the blonde's hair mussed and his arm slung around Tony's waist. "Morning, beautiful," he murmured, stretching a little to press a soft kiss to Tony's lips. "Happy birthday."

"Mm, thank you," Tony replied with a smile, pulling him a little closer. Glancing to his other side, his smile turned fond as he saw Bruce was still fast asleep, nuzzling into Tony's shoulder. "Time is it?"

"Half eight," Steve told him, fingers tracing absent shapes on Tony's flat stomach. "We promised to meet for breakfast at nine, I let you sleep as long as I dared." Tony whined low in his throat, a pout coming to his lips.

"You mean I've got you both naked and in bed on my birthday and we don't even have time to do anything about it?" he asked, making Steve chuckle, kissing him again.

"All the sex you want this evening, I promise. And tomorrow," he vowed, blue eyes sparkling in anticipation. It was a Saturday, so they had worked out that today would be for friends and his party, and Sunday would be for just him, Bruce and Steve. It had involved coming clean to the rest of the group, but that had been less of a huge announcement and more just to confirm what everyone seemed to already know. Tony knew Phil hadn't just been messing with him when he said they'd been too lovey-dovey at the last movie night for people to _not_ notice.

"I look forward to it." He paused when he felt Bruce shifting, turning to watch as the werewolf began to blink awake, looking dazed until he scented who was in bed with him and a pleased smile crossed his face. "Morning, sleepyhead," Tony greeted with a smile, running a hand down Bruce's bare back. The curly-haired teen hummed, kissing Tony's shoulder and looking up at them both, brown eyes still foggy. Sleepy Bruce was Tony's favourite kind of Bruce, even over horny Bruce. "God, you're adorable." Steve snickered as Bruce flushed pink, propping himself up on one arm to lean over Tony and kiss the werewolf slowly.

"He's right," he confirmed cheekily. "You are. Good morning."

"Morning," Bruce mumbled, snuggling into Tony's shoulder. "How long have you two been awake?"

"Only five minutes or so," Tony replied. "Steve was just saying we need to get up or we'll be late for breakfast. I was trying to persuade him to stay and have sex with us instead." Bruce smirked, glancing over at Steve.

"I'm all for that plan," he commented, making the blonde snort.

"Oh, hush, both of you. We promised today would be about friends." Tony rolled his eyes, pulling Bruce into a slow kiss, knowing there was nothing that got Steve hotter quicker than seeing him and Bruce starting something.

"Happy birthday, Tony," Bruce murmured against his lips, hand resting on Tony's shoulder to steady himself. "Do you feel dirty about sleeping with Steve yet?" Bruce had been seventeen for a few months now, and had joked when they got together that technically he was a dirty old man sleeping with two minors.

"Not yet. Maybe he should let me fuck him and we can find out," Tony retorted with a wink, smirking up at his youngest partner. Steve rolled his eyes, kissing Tony quickly before sitting up, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed.

"Tonight, I promise. Don't ruin what Bruce and I have planned for you," he scolded playfully, cheeks turning red as two sets of eyes watched him pad around the room naked, looking for some clothes and a towel.

"Ooh, you two have plans? I'm intrigued," Tony drawled, letting Bruce drape over him more comfortably so they could both stare at Steve. God, they were lucky sons of bitches.

"Yes, we have plans. But only if you're a good boy," the werewolf breathed against his ear, kissing his neck. "C'mon, we'll let you share the shower, but only if you're quick. Don't want to keep the others waiting." Tony hummed, pleasure shooting through him as Bruce pressed against his back briefly before pulling away, making Tony's morning wood stiffen even further. Steve, towel draped around his waist and clothes under his arm, paused in front of the door and turned to smirk at them, the expression at odds with his baby blue puppy-eyes.

"You two coming, or what?" Tony and Bruce shared a look, then scrambled to join the Gryffindor, practically falling over each other in their effort to get out of bed. Steve chuckled, watching them hunt down towels and boxers, and Tony hustled them both out of the room and to the showers when they were all ready, his towel not making any effort to hide his erection. It was a good thing no one else was up yet.

.-.

Showered, dressed, and satisfied, the three of them headed to the Room of Requirement to meet their friends for Tony's birthday breakfast. They'd decided against eating in the Great Hall; ever since the party had been announced, people from all years had been trying to suck up to Tony in order to get an invitation. He'd been pretty liberal with the invites, but even so, he didn't want some random third year he'd never met to be at his birthday party.

Nudging the door open, he grinned at the sight of the room inside; one large round table for all of them, enormous plates of pancakes, and a banner up on the wall reading 'Happy Birthday Tony!'. "Hey, the birthday boy's here," Clint called with a grin when he saw his friend, drawing the attention of the rest of the group. Despite the fairly early hour, they were all wide awake and smiling, though Tony noticed Thor and Bucky eyeing the food wistfully.

"Happy birthday, Tony!" Pepper greeted, coming over to hug him, kissing his cheek. "Look at you, all grown up."

"I think we've got a while yet before he's grown up," Phil remarked wryly, a smile on his face. "Happy birthday."

"Thanks. Wow, you guys, this looks awesome. How much did you have to bribe the house elves into cooking all this?" he asked, staring at the spread laid out. Looking closer, he could see there was more than just pancakes; bacon, eggs, French toast, sausages, hash browns, and piles of fruit and sweet toppings for the pancakes and toast.

"Bribe, are you kidding me? The elves freaking adore you, man, they did all this for free," Rhodey assured him, coming over to hug him. "Now sit down and eat before Thor starts chewing on the tablecloth." The tall Gryffindor blushed, and Tony laughed, taking the seat reserved for him, Steve and Bruce seated on either side. There was a party hat set out in front of each chair, and Tony smirked at his; it was a plastic crown, like the type you'd find at a kids' party. Setting it at a jaunty angle on his head, he grinned at his friends.

"I hope you're aware I will be wearing this crown all day," he informed them, making Pepper snort.

"Knew it was a good idea." He beamed at her, reaching for the nearest stack of pancakes, and that seemed to be the cue for everyone to dig in.

"Are we all ready for the party tonight?" Tony asked, directing his question to the table at large, but mostly to Pepper.

"Yeah; Rhodey, Peggy and I are gonna go decorate the hall later, and everything should be set to start on time. Hogun and Volstagg have kindly volunteered to keep an eye on the door, and the house elves jumped at the chance to make your birthday cake and the rest of the food," she assured him, smiling. Tony's grin widened, and he saluted at the two Gryffindors further down the table.

"You two are awesome, thank you," he declared, earning twin smiles from Volstagg and Hogun, their cheeks bulging with bacon and eggs. They were going to be putting a charm on the door so that no one without an invitation could get in, but that didn't mean there wouldn't be attempted gatecrashers.

"I'm surprised you're not going all present-crazy yet," Natasha remarked. "I mean, they're right over there." She gestured towards a table against the wall that Tony had noticed as soon as he entered; of course he had, it was piled with presents for him.

"Hey! I'm capable of acting like a mature, responsible adult and waiting until after breakfast to open my presents!" he exclaimed. The table was silent, and Tony rolled his eyes at the many skeptical looks pointed at him. Even Steve and Bruce were eyeing him with raised eyebrows, the traitors. "Ugh, fine, I was hungry. But now I've had pancakes can I open them? Please, Mom?" Once again, his question was directed to Pepper, who snickered, rolling her eyes.

"Sure, go for it. Infant," she muttered fondly, but Tony didn't care, jumping from his seat and darting towards the table with a whoop of glee. Ignoring the laughter from his friends, he reached immediately for the box covered in silver paper that he'd seen Steve and Bruce wrapping a couple of weeks ago. Sure enough, the tag declared it to be from both of them, and he tore into it eagerly, lifting the lid to peer inside. His breath caught in his throat; right on the top was a framed, full-colour drawing clearly done by Steve, of their whole friend group gathered around their usual Room of Requirement for movie night. Steve had even drawn himself in, curled up on a couch with his sketchbook on his knee and Bruce and Tony snuggled in on either side, hands loosely clasped on Steve's lap. Everyone was there, even Loki, who was sat between Thor and Darcy looking surprisingly relaxed, Thor's shoulder pressed close to his.

"Wow, Steve," he murmured, running his fingers over the glass. They all looked so content, so comfortable in each others' company, and Tony still couldn't quite believe that he had managed to find himself in the middle of such an amazing group of people. So much for his worries of being incapable of finding true friends when he first started at Hogwarts.

"You like it?" Steve asked hesitantly, cheeks a little pink and the same hopeful smile on his face he got every time he showed someone something he'd drawn for them.

"I love it," Tony confirmed, beaming. He set it down carefully on the table, peering into the box once more, and his eyes went wide. "Merlin, Bruce, is that what I think it is?" Reaching in, he eased the thin object out. It was a vinyl ACDC record in its case, the one that would finally complete Tony's collection. He'd been meaning to get it for a while, but had never gotten round to it; it was rare.

"Yup. I know you've not got that one, and I saw it in a thrift store over Christmas break when you were working. I couldn't resist," the other Ravenclaw admitted, smiling faintly. "It's not much, but… I hope you like it. You're a hard person to buy for."

"Bruce, baby, you and Steve are getting the _best_ blowjobs tonight, I swear to God," Tony declared solemnly, ignoring several of his other friends letting out loud groans at the overshare. They were used to it by now. Steve and Bruce both grinned, even as Steve's cheeks reddened further. Easing the record back into the box, he darted over to drag them both into a tight hug, pressing a kiss first to Steve's lips then Bruce's. "Best birthday ever," he murmured with a grin. "Love you guys."

"Yeah, yeah, you've got the whole of tomorrow for the lovefest," Clint cut in with a roll of his eyes. "Just open the rest of your presents." Tony laughed, breaking away from his boyfriends and flipping the bird at the blonde Hufflepuff, heading back to the table.

"Alright, I'm going. I'll open yours next, quit whining," he placated dryly, not needing to check tags to know that the present wrapped in bright purple was from the archer. Ripping the paper off, a beaming smile split his face at the sight of the Zonko's Deluxe Pack. "Sweet! I hope you're aware most of these will be used against you," he warned the younger boy, earning a smirk in return.

"I expected nothing less. Happy birthday, jackass," Clint replied with a smile. Next to Clint's gift was a neatly wrapped gift from Phil, and Tony barked out a laugh when he opened it.

"The Idiot's Guide to Business," he read off the cover of the book, meeting his yearmate's amused gaze. "Trying to tell me something, Coulson?"

"I just thought it'd be helpful for after graduation," Phil replied evenly. Tony grinned, setting his new book beside the Zonko's pack and turning to the rest of his presents. Despite the fact that he was definitely, as Bruce had said, a difficult person to buy for — what did you buy a billionaire genius for his birthday? — He loved each and every one of his gifts, all of them proving just how well his friends knew him after nearly six years. Other than his presents from Bruce and Steve, his favourite had to be the 'Get out of Trouble Free' card, printed out like a Monopoly card and laminated, just the right size for him to fit in his wallet. Pepper assured him that he could do whatever the hell he wanted on one occasion and pull that card, and she wouldn't get mad at him or do anything about it. He could only use it once, however; his mind was already plotting furiously to find the perfect situation in which to use it.

The hype of gift-opening over and the food all gone, the group began to split up to get on with their day, all promising to be on time to Tony's party. The only ones left in the room were Tony, Bruce, Steve, and Pepper, who cleared away all the wrapping paper with a wave of her wand, leaving only the presents behind. "Are you three planning on doing anything for the rest of the day?" she asked curiously, and Tony shrugged.

"Not really. We were just gonna hang around here, maybe go down to the lab for a bit before the party. Want to hang with us?" As he spoke, the breakfast table disappeared to be replaced with two squashy couches and a coffee table. Steve hopped over the back of the larger couch to settle down on one side, tugging Bruce by the hand until he joined him, a space open between them for Tony.

"Are you sure I won't be intruding?" Pepper checked, but Tony just rolled his eyes.

"Pepper Pot, you're never intruding," he insisted, rounding the couch to drop down between his lovers, watching Pepper take the couch opposite. "God, I hope tonight is as awesome as it is in my brain when I think about it. I'm sure it will be, I mean, you organised it," he added with a grin to his Hufflepuff friend. Pepper smiled back, tucking her feet up underneath her.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence. But I'm pretty sure everything should go as planned, so I'm sure you'll have a great time. We all will," she assured him. "You did the essay due Monday, right?" she checked, and Tony rolled his eyes.

"Yes, Mom, all my homework is done, I can go out to play," he droned lightly. "Steve and Bruce did all theirs, too." The three of them knew that absolutely no work would be getting done the next day, and had prepared accordingly. Pepper smirked at the three of them, tucking a lock of stray hair behind her ear. With a brief thought from Tony, a TV appeared on the wall opposite, and he immediately grabbed the remote. "Pick a movie, any movie," he told the room at large, scrolling through a large selection of films. Pepper smiled, allowing the boys to argue over the film choices, and made herself a little more comfortable. They had quite a bit of time to kill before she had to be anywhere.

.-.-.

The lights in the room went up as the film ended, and Pepper was completely unsurprised to look over at the other couch to see the three boys unaware that the credits were scrolling, too busy exchanging brief kisses and letting their hands wander. They had been all over each other since after the light lunch the house elves had brought them, and Pepper had indulgently ignored it.

"Merlin, I hope you three get out of the honeymoon stage soon, it's infuriatingly adorable," she teased, watching them smile at each other.

"Aww, sorry Pepper. We're getting better," Steve insisted earnestly. "It's just still really new, and… we wanted it for a while before it happened. Even if Tony didn't realise," he added with a chuckle, kissing Tony's temple. Bruce had admitted after the first time all three of them had slept together that he'd been fantasising about it for a long time, but never imagined it would actually be an option.

"New? Steve, you got together in February. It's April," Pepper pointed out with a knowing smirk, watching the Gryffindor turn redder. Steve really did blush too easily; she'd have thought spending more time with Tony would cure him of that.

"Oh c'mon, Pep. Like you wouldn't be handsy all the time if you had these two gorgeous pieces of man candy at your disposal," Tony cajoled unashamedly, winking at her as he grabbed Bruce's thigh playfully, making the curly-haired teen jump. Pepper laughed, nodding to concede the point.

"Fair point. But unlike you guys, I would actually remember that other people are in the room," she ribbed, only half-joking. It wasn't so bad when all of them were together, but when it was Tony, Bruce and Steve with only one or two other people around, the rest of the world didn't exist. It was really sweet, how they were all so crazy in love with each other, but also kind-of irritating after two and a half months. At least it was nearly summer; they'd no doubt be into married couple status by the time they returned to school in September.

"We don't forget _all_ the time," Bruce insisted, though he didn't sound too sorry and his hand was in Tony's hair, his head leaning against Steve's forearm where it lay across the back of the couch. "And to be fair, we're only that bad around people because we've started spending half our time in the dorm studying. Our exams might not be important this year, but Steve's are, and we all want him to do his best." Pepper's attempt at a reprimanding look melted at the earnest-puppy expression on Steve's face at his boyfriend's words. Honestly, how anyone was ever able to refuse him, she didn't know. It was a good thing he was such a decent person, or he could seriously take advantage of having a face like that.

"I'll believe that when I see it, and you stop groping in public when exams are over. It's a miracle the reporters haven't run a story yet," she remarked ruefully. Now that the majority of students had Starkphones and computers, the wizarding world was very quickly getting online under their own separate network to the muggles — again, engineered by Tony — and news-sharing was getting even faster than it had done previously.

"What can I say; when my name is printed on the back of every electronic device in this school, people think twice about using them to tell the world about my private life," Tony pointed out with a shrug. Pepper hummed in agreement, glancing at her watch.

"And speaking of your private life, I have to go meet Rhodey and Peggy to start setting up the hall for your party. I'm sure the three of you will appreciate the alone time, since you claim you don't get enough of it," she added playfully, getting to her feet and slipping her feet back into her shoes.

"Wow, is it that late already?" Bruce asked, surprised, as he checked his own watch. "Damn. We should take your presents up to the dorm, Tony."

"Gorgeous, if that's code for sex, I think Pepper is aware of what our plans are," Tony informed him with a smirk, getting up to hug Pepper briefly. Bruce chuckled, lips quirking.

"That too, but I really did mean taking your presents up. We'll see you later, Pepper. Text if you need any help," he added, and the redhead rolled her eyes, hugging him.

"Bruce, trust me, you will be the last person I text for help today; Tony will throw a fit if I take away either of his boyfriends on his birthday. Go have fun, I'll see you three at the party," she told them, having to bounce right up on her tiptoes to kiss Steve on the cheek. He was the kind of guy that required constantly wearing heels, and that just wasn't conducive to living at Hogwarts with all its stairs and walking.

Leaving the three of them to gather Tony's presents up, Pepper took several shortcuts to get back to the Hufflepuff dorm, where she'd left most of the party decorations for safekeeping. Her roommates all had party invitations, so they weren't likely to mess with the decorations for fear of losing those invites. Rhodey was hanging in the common room with his roommate that wasn't Clint and a couple of the Hufflepuff girls from his year. "Hey, Pepper," he greeted as she approached, smiling. "Duty calling?"

"Afraid so. Give me five minutes to go get everything from my room, then we can head down and meet Peggy," she confirmed.

"I'm so excited for this party," Janet, one of the girls, commented with a grin. "It's going to be like, the highlight of the school year. It's just a shame Headmaster Fury didn't insist on teacher chaperones," she added, grin faltering slightly, and Pepper stifled a sigh. Everyone in the school seemed to know of Janet's crush on Professor Pym, except the socially inept Potions' Master himself. Pepper was a little concerned about what would happen when Janet finally graduated; she knew a lot of people had money on her jumping him straight after the ceremony.

"I think with what Tony has planned, it's best that the teachers stay oblivious," Rhodey pointed out to her, smirking. Pepper left them to their conversation, hurrying up to her dorm room to grab the magically expanded box that held everything she'd need for Tony Stark's Birthday Extravaganza. She was actually very glad that Tony had turned the planning over to her, despite how much hard work it had been to get everything together in time. Had the Ravenclaw been left to plan it himself, there probably would have been strippers and explosions.

Collecting Rhodey from his friends on her way back out, Pepper allowed the younger boy to carry the box when he insisted, leading the way down to the Great Hall. There were still quite a few students eating in there, and Pepper spotted Peggy sat at the Gryffindor table with Fandral. "Hey, guys," she greeted as she sat down, Rhodey placing the box on the table. "Peggy, are you ready to get started? We've got a lot of work to do if we want a decent amount of time to get ready."

"Would you three like an extra hand?" Fandral offered, but Pepper gave him an amused look.

"Don't you have a date or three to romance before the party?" she asked knowingly, and he smirked in reply.

"Just the one, tonight," he assured her. "And I assume she'll want all the time she can to prepare for the festivities. It's the talk of the school; everyone wants to look their absolute best." Pepper grinned happily, glad that Tony's party was getting the hype it deserved. Should they pull everything off, it would be the best party in the history of Hogwarts; Tony Stark wouldn't accept anything less.

"Then it's only fair you have enough time to look just as handsome for her as she will for you," Peggy told the blonde, smiling. "Thank you for the offer, Fandral, but I'm sure between the three of us and the house elves we'll have it covered." He nodded, setting his empty plate aside and getting to his feet, offering them a quick bow.

"Very well, then. Ladies, Rhodey, I shall see you this evening." With that he left, and Pepper and Peggy shared smiles as Rhodey rolled his eyes. Even after nearly six years of being around teenagers, Thor and his crowd still spoke like they were from the middle ages most of the time. Pepper kind-of hoped they never changed; it was both hilarious and charming in equal measures.

"Right, to work. Rhodey, you work on setting up the lights, and Peggy, you can help me with the streamers," Pepper ordered, getting into boss mode. They were less streamers and more huge swathes of fabric that would drape around the walls and ceiling beams, but streamers sounded far less pretentious. With a nod, Rhodey moved the box to the floor and started pulling out everything they'd need, drawing the attention of the few students who were still finishing up their meals.

"If you're finished with your food, please do not linger in the hall," Headmaster Fury announced with a sonorus charm to his throat. "The sooner Miss Potts and her friends can decorate for this damn party, the sooner it can start and finish and I can wash my hands of it all." Pepper snickered, levitating a length of metallic silver fabric up towards the nearest beam, Peggy controlling the other end. With Fury's magical eye staring intensely at anyone who tried to dawdle, the hall soon cleared of students, and he left his place at the head table. "I trust you two to keep everything under control. If Stark breaks anything, he pays for it, are we clear?"

"Yes, sir," Pepper assured promptly. "Trust me, we've prepared for just about every eventuality. The last thing we want is for you to regret giving us this freedom." As much as Tony was all for causing havoc and chaos, Pepper had reminded him that Fury had the power make his last year at Hogwarts a living hell, and refuse to let him and Bruce come and visit Steve once they'd graduated. After that, the genius was surprisingly compliant.

"That remains to be seen," Fury remarked dryly, folding his arms over his chest. "Well, the hall is yours. Please do not blow up my castle before the night is over." Pepper gave the man her most reassuring smile, and he snorted and shook his head, turning to leave the hall. As soon as the door shut, the four long house tables disappeared and a small army of house elves popped into the room, practically wriggling with excitement.

"We is ready, Missy Pepper!" the kitchen's head elf, Kizzy, declared eagerly, offering a curtsey. Pepper grinned at the elf, allowing Peggy to take over with the streamers.

"Excellent. How about we set the tables up first, hmm? Then we can work on placing the food."

.-.

With the help of the elves, the hall was set up and ready for the party with just over an hour before things kicked off, and even Pepper was impressed with what they'd managed to pull together. "It looks amazing," Peggy complimented, smiling brightly. "You've outdone yourself, Pepper." There was a huge dancefloor set up in front of a conjured stage, where the DJ — a squib who worked in both the wizarding and muggle worlds — was set up with his sound deck. Coloured lights flashed all over the room, and with the stars in the ceiling above and the metallic and jewel tone fabrics draping the room, it looked like the inside of a high-class club. Circular tables seating six each were dotted around the edges of the room, and a long table covered in food ran the length of the left side wall, the enormous blue and silver seven-tier cake in the very centre of the buffet. It was a culinary masterpiece, and the house elves were immensely proud of it. Each tier was a different flavour, the icing made it look almost like it was made of circuit boards and wires, and there were seventeen magical sparkler candles just waiting to be lit.

"Thank you guys so, so much," Pepper gushed to the house elves, beaming at them. "We couldn't have done this without you, Tony's going to love it." She was sure she heard a couple of the elves actually squeal, and the excited wriggling returned.

"We is glad Master Tony will be having fun for his birthday!" Kizzy replied. "We is happy to help." After more bows and curtsies, the elves disappeared back to the kitchens, and Pepper turned to her partners in crime.

"Right, we'd better go get ready," she murmured, grabbing the empty box and heading for the doors. "See you back here in an hour? Bruce and Steve are sorting Tony out, right?" Rhodey nodded, a slight smirk at his lips.

"Yeah, and Jane is under orders to make sure they actually leave the dorm on time instead of staying in bed," he confirmed. Pepper nodded decisively, shutting the doors to the hall behind her and sealing them with a powerful locking ward. The last thing they wanted was people entering before the party started.

"Perfect. Peggy, we'll see you later." The brunette nodded, and the three went their separate ways; Pepper and Rhodey to Hufflepuff, and Peggy up to Gryffindor. Pepper smiled to herself on the way up, anticipation coursing through her veins. Just an hour to get ready and back to the hall, and then the chaos would truly begin.

.-.-.

Tony was grinning like a child as he, Steve, Bruce and Jane left Ravenclaw Tower to head down to the hall. Jane was technically going with a Slytherin boy in the year below, but had promised to meet him there once the party started. Tony wanted to get there first so he could greet everyone once they started arriving. "God, this is going to be awesome," he announced, still beaming, and Steve squeezed his hand with a smile.

"I bet. Pepper worked so hard, it'll be nothing less than spectacular," he agreed. "We all just want you to have a great birthday."

"I have my friends, my gorgeous guys, and the entire Great Hall at my disposal until 2am; how could it possibly be anything less than incredible?" Tony pointed out, winking as he playfully slapped Bruce's ass with his free hand, making the werewolf blush. Turning into the entrance hall, Tony's grin widened at the sight of all his friends already gathered outside the hall, dressed in their party clothes. It was muggle-casual, no robes necessary, and not for the first time Tony was struck with how ridiculously attractive his friend group was. Really, it was insane.

"Wow, you guys actually made it on time!" Rhodey exclaimed in mock-shock, earning a punch to the shoulder as Tony approached him.

"Jackass," the Ravenclaw muttered fondly, rolling his eyes. "You guys all look awesome. Are we ready to kick this thing off?" With a glance at his watch, he saw that it was only ten minutes to the hour; people would be arriving soon.

"The door is warded, the alcohol is warded, everything's set up. We are good to go," Pepper told him, leaning in to kiss his cheek. "I hope you like it, Tony. Happy Birthday." The gathered teens stepped aside so Tony could approach the door, and he pushed it open with his invite in hand so the wards would recognise him as an attendant. As soon as he saw the hall, his jaw dropped. It was _amazing_. He hardly even recognised the hall for what it was, and he could feel himself beginning to drool at the sight of his birthday cake.

"Pepper, marry me," he said seriously, making the redhead laugh.

"Flattering, but we both know I won't win against the competition," she teased lightly. "I take it that means you approve?"

"Approve? Pep, this is fucking _insane_. Best party ever, and it's not even started yet!" He reached over to hug her tightly, kissing her cheek. "You're the best, and I love you." She smiled at him, mussing up his hair a little with an impish glint in her eyes.

"You're welcome, Tony. I love you too. Now how about we get this party started?" With a thumbs-up to the DJ, music started pulsing through the room, and the rest of their friends walked through the doorway with invitations in hand. As they stepped through, the paper invites disappeared and a bright blue wristband appeared on each of their wrists, which would allow them access to the room for the rest of the night. Volstagg and Hogun positioned themselves either side of the door, arms folded over their chests in an intimidating manner, and Darcy immediately went to drag several round tables together until they could all sit together.

Arm loosely around Bruce's waist, Tony watched as Pepper went to light the sparklers on the cake with her wand, sparks of several different colours streaming from them and dissipating before they could touch any food. He was so mesmerised by them that he didn't notice Clint's smirk, nor the music dimming in volume.

"Happy birthday to you!" they all started singing loudly at Clint's signal, making the billionaire jump. He turned to Bruce, who winked at him, continuing to sing. "Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear Tony, happy birthday to you!" Cheers went up at the end of the song, and their volume made him whip around in shock, seeing several people entering the room with wristbands appearing on their arm, Volstagg and Hogun both towering over the crowd by the doors.

"I have the _best_ friends," Tony declared, leaning up to press a kiss to Steve's lips, squeezing around Bruce's waist. "Seriously."

"You deserve this, Tony. You always go above and beyond for our birthdays," the blonde pointed out, reminding Tony of the incredible Fourth-of-July-Slash-Steve's-Birthday party he'd hosted in the summer when Steve had turned fifteen, and the many ridiculously extravagant things he'd done for the rest of his friends. What could he say? Birthdays were awesome.

"Enjoy yourself, Tony. Everyone needs to blow off some steam before the exams lock us all down, and so do you," Bruce added, kissing his jaw lightly. "Now it looks like the girls want you to go dance." Tony turned, spotting Tasha, Pepper, Darcy and Jane all on the dancefloor, beckoning him over, and he grinned.

"No, honybear, I think they want _us_ to go dance. Come on." Grabbing both his boyfriends by the hand, he dragged them over to the girls, beaming widely as the room steadily filled up with people. Tonight was going to be _awesome_.

.-.-.-.

Nearly two hours into the party already, and Tony was buzzing with energy and a little bit drunk. Things were in full swing, and everyone seemed to be having a great time. Tony was trying to make a point of greeting everyone personally and thanking them for coming, making sure they were enjoying themselves; he hadn't realised how many people he'd invited until now. Volstagg and Hogun had given up on the doors after the majority had arrived, confident that the wards would hold, and were now over by their tables chatting boisterously with Thor and the others. The tall blonde Gryffindor had drunk more than anyone else in the hall, but barely even seemed tipsy, his arm draped around Loki's shoulder. The Slytherin boy seemed perfectly comfortable there, hand resting possessively on Thor's hip in a way that made Tony smile, glad the pair appeared to have worked the tension out. Loki could use a little of something good in his life.

Glancing around, he searched out the rest of his friends, wanting to be sure that they more than anyone were enjoying the party. After everything they had done for him, they deserved the night as much as he did. He saw Clint and Phil dancing close together, Natasha nowhere to be seen but probably having gotten fed up of their lovey-dovey-ness. Pepper was fending off the attention of a rather attractive Gryffindor seventh year over by the buffet table, Rhodey hovering nearby looking ready to step in should the older boy get out of line. Jane was happily dancing with the Slytherin she was sort-of-not-really-dating, and Bucky was at a table with five other girls, each of them hanging on his every word. Tony snorted as Sif walked behind the teen and flicked him on the ear with a small smile, heading over to Thor and the others with drinks in her hand.

The ingenious charm over the drinks — Bruce's design — seemed to be working incredibly well, as Tony hadn't seen a single person under fifteen with any kind of alcohol. The charm would make anyone fourteen or under who tried to drink alcohol sprout enormous, unattractive teeth that would make things like drinking, talking and eating very difficult. The teeth would disappear after a few minutes unless it was the person's third offence, at which point they would have to go to Bruce to get them removed. They seemed to be enough of an eyesore to deter even the most determined of underage drinkers. Sipping at his vodka and coke, Tony looked around the room for the two most important people in his eyes, a wide smile coming to his face when he saw Steve and Bruce dancing together, their closeness toeing the line between friends and lovers. The three of them were pretty sure that the rest of the school had guessed by now, but didn't want to do anything too obvious just yet. The longer they could keep their privacy, the better.

He startled as female hands landed on his shoulders, and breasts pressed to his back as a kiss smacked against his temple. "Hey, hot stuff," Darcy greeted brightly as he turned. "How's it hanging?" Tony grinned, slinging an arm around her waist, trying not to stare at how well her glittery low-cut top accentuated her bust. Darcy was one of those girls who had puberty hit them like a freight train, and definitely came out on top. She'd left at the end of last year as a pretty-but-unassuming teen girl, and come back in September a stunningly gorgeous young woman, all curves and coy looks and flirtatious grins. It had taken Tony a little while to notice before the whole thing had smacked him in the face one day, but the boys of Hogwarts definitely weren't so slow on the uptake. Luckily, most of them seemed too terrified of Thor and the rest of Darcy's male friends to even think about doing anything untoward. Any guy who even thought about breaking their baby's heart would have a life of pain ahead of him.

"Hey there, sweetheart. Everything is fantastic, thanks for asking. You having a good time?" She grinned at him, reaching up to rub off the lipstick smudge she'd left on his face.

"The best," she assured. "But you, my dear, need to loosen up a little. This isn't one of your stuffy Stark Industry dinner parties; you don't have to be the perfect little host. No one here cares whether you greet them or not. No offence, dude, but they came here to party, not to party with you. You need to stop trying to make sure everyone else is happy and have a little fun yourself, because you have two unfairly hot boyfriends getting all up on each other without you in the middle, on your birthday, which is a damn shame if you ask me." Tony smiled sheepishly, eyes turning back to where Bruce was trying to teach Steve to grind, the blonde's blush visible even in the dim lighting.

"They are ridiculously beautiful, aren't they?" he remarked, making her laugh.

"Horrendously so, you selfish bastard keeping them both to yourself," the Hufflepuff joked in reply. "Seriously, Tony, don't worry about anyone else in this place. It's not your problem if they don't enjoy themselves, it just means they're a boring person with no soul. All that matters is that you have a good time, so relax, handsome!"

"You're right," Tony agreed, downing the rest of his drink and setting the empty glass on a nearby table. "I need to stop worrying, don't I?" Darcy nodded sagely.

"Yes, you do. Now go get 'em, tiger. I'm gonna go make Bucky's fangirls jealous by making him dance with me." Tony smirked, squeezing her around the waist and kissing her forehead.

"Love you, baby girl. Don't let Buck play grab-ass or I'll have Steve hit him," he murmured only half-playfully, and she snickered.

"Trust me; his hands go anywhere I don't want them to and he won't have any hands left. Save me a dance later, okay?" Tony nodded as he released her, and watched her long enough to see the younger girl ambush Bucky with her hands over his eyes, ignoring the glares of his adoring entourage as she bullied and flirted him into getting up to dance. Every boy in their group was completely whipped to all of their girls, but Darcy more than the rest. She was the baby of their little family, though she hated them calling her that. Confident that Bucky would look after her until she rejoined their table, Tony slipped through the crowd on the dancefloor to get to Steve and Bruce, his jeans feeling a little tighter at the sight of them flushed and sweaty and grinning like loons as they danced with each other.

"Room for one more?" he called with a smirk, making them both turn to face him.

"For you, always," Steve returned, beckoning him closer to wind an arm around his waist, pulling him into a kiss. "Where have you been?"

"I was being stupid, but Darce set me straight. So how about we kick this party up a notch, huh?" Confident that no one would really care and that the fourth year he'd paid to take photographs was elsewhere, Tony reached out to tangle his fingers in Bruce's hair and pull him close, pressing their foreheads together and kissing him as briefly as he dared. "Dance with me, both of you," he murmured, smirking as Steve's arms came around him from behind and he put his new moves into practice, Bruce smiling and draping an arm around Tony's neck. The billionaire relaxed into the embrace, letting the music wash over him and moving to the beat. He wasn't going to worry about anything but himself, his friends and his boyfriends. It wasn't his problem if other people were having drama; he could get filled in on that on Monday. All that mattered was that he made the most of his birthday party. You only turned seventeen once, after all.

.-.-.

By two in the morning, only the most hardcore partiers were still there, and the party was starting to wind down. Tony had seen Phil and Clint leave about ten minutes prior, no doubt in anyone's mind as to what they were going to do, and several more of his friends had called it a night at around half past one, either to find somewhere private with their significant others or just to go collapse in a bed somewhere. "Think we should hit the lights and throw everyone out?" he mused, leaning back into Steve's chest with his feet propped in Bruce's lap, their chairs all close together.

"If it means I can go to bed, definitely," Pepper called from across the table, head propped on her hand. "I'm exhausted."

"Pep, you could have gone to bed hours ago," Tony pointed out with a slight frown, but the redhead only gave him a bemused look.

"And not be here when inevitable disaster struck? Not a chance. But I'm impressed, Tony. Everything went really well, and nothing is on fire. Congrats," she commented, making him snort.

"Thanks," he replied dryly. "But yeah, I think it's time to call it a night. Fury will go nuts if we're all up much later than this." Sighing to himself, he got to his feet and pulled his wand from his arm holster, waving it to raise the lights in the room. As soon as it started getting brighter, the DJ got the hint and let the music fade out, and a loud groan rose from the crowd still on the dance floor. "Sorry guys, but the headmaster will kick me out if we keep partying 'til dawn!" Tony called to them apologetically. "Thanks for coming, and there are hangover remedies on the table outside the door for the morning."

Several people called their thanks and compliments for the party on their way out, until eventually it was just Tony and his friends left in the room with the DJ. Glancing around, he winced at the amount of clean-up that would need to happen; maybe bed wouldn't be happening so soon after all. There were cups and bottles all over the room, spill-stains on the tablecloths and confetti everywhere from the confetti-bomb that had gone off at 10:34PM — the exact time Tony was born. Most of the food had been eaten, and there was hardly any cake left at all.

Glancing around, he smiled as Steve and Bruce got up to help start tidying, and Pepper walked over to the table just inside the door that was piled high with presents, pulling the box with the expansion charm out from underneath the table and beginning to load it up. Thor was too absorbed in making out with Loki to be of any help, but Rhodey was still around to start stacking empty cups, and Sif pulled out her wand to make a start on taking the decorations down.

There was a soft pop, and Tony paused at the sight of eight house elves with the school crest stamped on their little outfits, recognising a couple of them from the kitchens. "We shall tidy up, Master Tony!" one of the elves chirped, the others not even waiting for permission before starting to magic the mess away. "Do not be worryings about it!"

"But Fury said we had to tidy up after ourselves," Tony protested, earning a mischievous grin from the elf in front of him.

"What Headmaster Fury is not knowing will not be hurting him," she replied cheekily. Tony laughed, offering a hand to high-five the elf, glad when she responded.

"Awesome, you guys are the best. And thank Kizzy and the others for the cake, will you? Best thing I've ever tasted, I swear," he said emphatically. The elf saluted, grinning widely, and went to help her friends in tidying. "Well, that's that covered," Tony mused, turning back to his friends. Thor and Loki had finally stopped sucking face, though were still giving each other moon-eyes. "Seriously, I'm happy for them, but do we need to throw water over them or something?" he asked, making Sif snort.

"Not quite, don't fret," she assured him, wandering over to smack them both around the head, drawing their attention. "Would you mind taking this elsewhere so the elves can clean the hall? The party has ended, and it's time for both of you to go to bed. Whose bed, I do not care, but please spare me the details." Both Thor and Loki flushed, and Sif's stern expression made way for a smile as she leaned in to kiss their foreheads in turn. "Goodnight, my daft boys. Sleep well." She turned to leave, and Loki slipped off Thor's lap, both of them getting to their feet.

"Wait, we shall walk with you," Thor told her, fingers twining with the Slytherin's. "Goodnight, friends. And many happy returns again, Tony. The celebration was most enjoyable."

"You're welcome, big guy. See you Monday," Tony replied with a smile. After the three left for Gryffindor, Tony waved to the DJ as the man left with his briefcase full of equipment, heading over to lean against the edge of the table that Pepper was rapidly clearing of presents. "I know that Clint and Phil went okay, Jane and Peggy went with their guys, Fandral left with some Hufflepuff guy that he definitely did not arrive with, and Hogun and Volstagg went up after Hogun nearly puked, but did the others head out okay? Darcy and Tasha, and Bucky?" They were the only three that Tony hadn't personally seen leave, and the castle was a big place.

"Tasha left with Maria and a couple of others on the team about twenty minutes ago," Pepper assured him, placing the last present in the box and topping it with a stack of cards.

"And I know Bucky walked Darce back to Hufflepuff before heading off with one of his girls for the night," Rhodey piped up. Tony smiled, placated at the confirmation that everyone was back to the dorms safe. "Come on, Pep. Let's leave these three to the rest of their night and head to bed; you've more than earned it," the younger boy urged the redhead, arm falling over her shoulders. She let out a tired sigh, leaning briefly into his shoulder, then nodded.

"Sure thing, Rhodey. Goodnight, boys. We'll see you on Monday, though if you think you can emerge for dinner tomorrow, please do so," she added playfully, moving to hug Tony goodnight and then do the same to Bruce and Steve.

"G'night, Pep. Thanks for everything," Tony said for what had to be the hundredth time, making her smile. They left the box of presents for Tony and made off for Hufflepuff, Pepper's heels hanging from one hand and her arm looped through Rhodey's. Tony turned to Steve and Bruce, a smirk tugging at his lip.

"Well, now the party's over, the second part of my birthday extravaganza begins," he drawled, letting Steve brush past him to pick up the box.

"Let's get back to the dorm before you start tearing our clothes off, Tony," Bruce teased, running a hand through his sweat-damp curls. Tony's smirk widened, and the threesome left the house elves to their work, starting the long trek up to Ravenclaw tower. Steve set down the box of presents by the desk in the dorm to be perused in the morning, eyes darkening with lust as Tony stripped off his shirt as soon as the door was shut, kicking off his shoes and heading towards the bed.

"Just a little fun before we get some sleep," the Gryffindor bartered, undoing the fly of his jeans and watching Bruce shimmy his own off his hips. "We'll need our energy for tomorrow." Tony gave him a catlike grin, beckoning them both towards the bed with the hand that wasn't pushing his boxers down his thighs.

"You bet we will, gorgeous. But I assure you, if you think we won't have energy, then you _deeply_ underestimate all three of us." Steve hummed against Tony's lips as they kissed, arching in pleasure as Bruce's hands ran over his chest.

"Super-serum," he pointed out breathlessly, eyes flashing mischievously. "I'll have the energy, but you two might not." Tony growled, looking over Steve's shoulder to meet Bruce's affronted gaze.

"Challenge accepted, blondie," he muttered, not wasting any time in shoving a hand down Steve's boxers. The youngest of the three grinned as he bucked into the touch, and Tony smirked, proud of his boyfriend for his manipulation tactic, even if it was awfully transparent. So long as it meant more sex for all three of them, he didn't really care.


	14. Becoming Real

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky stumbles across the secret Tasha has been keeping, and suddenly it’s not a secret anymore.

Natasha ran her fingers through her hair, checking in her bedroom mirror that it was sitting properly, then grabbed her jacket and ducked out of the dorm room, heading down the long corridor towards the common room. It was long past dinner, and the Slytherin common room was buzzing with chatter and music; for all that they portrayed themselves as cold, marble statues outside of Slytherin house, the majority were actually capable of normal human interaction. 

Walking near-soundlessly towards the exit, Natasha glanced around surreptitiously, wanting to make sure she wasn’t being watched. Sure the coast was clear, she slipped around a group of third years entering the common room, freezing in her tracks when her name was called. “It’s awfully late to be going out for a wander. I thought Clint was spending the evening with Phil, as he is off duty for once.” Loki, of course. The younger Slytherin was curled up in an armchair that only he ever seemed to occupy, a book balanced on his lap. His expression wasn’t accusing, merely curious, but Tasha cursed silently all the same.

“Quidditch practice,” she replied automatically, giving him the same excuse she often gave Clint and the others. The dark-haired boy raised an eyebrow at her.

“When the season has ended? Without your broom?” he drawled pointedly. She opened her mouth to argue, but no sound came out, and he smirked. “I thought so. I’ll keep your secrets, Natasha,” he assured her simply. “But considering our friends, you should really think about owning up to whatever it is you’re hiding. I know Clint is aware that you’re up to something.” Tasha’s lips pursed; she hadn’t thought Clint had caught on yet.

“Thanks. I’ll… think about it.” As much as she wanted to tell her friends, it wasn’t only her decision to make. Loki nodded in acceptance, smirk turning into a half-smile.

“Have a good evening,” he said cordially, before looking back down at his book. Natasha shrugged, leaving the common room before he could change his mind and begin questioning her. She was late enough already.

Wrapping her scarf around her neck to ward off the evening chill, the redhead shoved her hands in her pockets and hurried through the corridors up to the entrance hall, taking a couple of shortcuts on the way. She only passed two or three other students, and a glance at her watch made her wince; she was so _very_ late. Hopefully she would be forgiven.

Slipping through the entrance hall doors, she made a beeline towards the quidditch pitch, smiling to herself at seeing a few people walking out by the lake, all in pairs. Clearly couples trying to make ‘date night’ as romantic as possible when you were stuck on grounds for the majority of the school term. That was, in her opinion, one of the worst things about boarding at Hogwarts; it was hard to take someone out on a date when the only places available were the lake and Hogsmeade. Especially considering there was not enough money in the world to make her willingly step foot in Madame Puddifoot’s. 

A smile tugged at her lips as she grew close to the stands, and she picked up her pace. Focused on her destination, she didn’t notice as one half of a couple by the lake glanced over, his eyes catching on her form and narrowing suspiciously.

.-.-.

Bucky regretted a lot of things in life. Drinking so much at Tony’s birthday party was one; agreeing to date this girl was definitely another. He wasn’t even completely sure of her name — Jessica? Jennifer? Jean? Something beginning with a J, he was sure — but she had literally not stopped talking the entire hour and a half he had been in her company. He’d already tried kissing her to shut her up, but she’d gone from zero to sixty in half a second by grabbing at his crotch almost the second his lips touched hers. And really, anyone who thought it was acceptable to squeeze a guy’s dick _that_ hard was not getting any closer to his junk.

Nodding and humming as she stopped to breathe in the middle of her diatribe about how all her friends were going to be so totally jealous of her new hot boyfriend — since when was he her boyfriend? He hadn’t agreed to that! — The Gryffindor boy looked around, desperately hunting for an escape route. Maybe he could slip his hand into his pocket and text Steve to help— no, of course, Steve was with Bruce and Tony. He’d probably turned his phone off by now, being one of those old-fashioned people who believed it was rude to text or call others when you were meant to be spending time with someone. Bucky thought it was really just because he didn’t want his phone to go off in the middle of sex.

A flash of red caught his eye as he tried to rid himself of the mental image of the Stark/Rogers/Banner threeway, and his eyebrows shot up when he realised he recognised the girl walking quickly towards the quidditch pitch, dressed in all black but for a Slytherin scarf around her neck. What was Natasha doing out so late? “James?” He startled, attention snapping back towards his date, who apparently hadn’t got the memo that the only people who actually called him James were his mother, Steve’s mother and Headmaster Fury when he was pissed off. “It’s getting a little cold out. Maybe we could take this… inside? I bet the Astronomy Tower has a great view tonight,” she gushed, fluttering her eyelashes in a way that was probably meant to be seductive. He shuddered internally; there was no way in hell he’d be going to the Astronomy Tower with her.

“Oh, crap!” he exclaimed suddenly, gaze still flicking back to Natasha. “I just remembered, I didn’t finish my Potions essay! Professor Pym is gonna skin me alive and use me for ingredients if I don’t have something to hand in tomorrow!” Whatever-her-name-was pouted, folding her arms over her chest in a way that accentuated her cleavage. Bucky glanced down out of habit, but the greatest breasts in the world couldn’t make him want to get naked with her after the way she’d grabbed his junk. 

“Aww. Can’t it wait? You can do it at lunch tomorrow, or something,” she simpered, resting a hand on his arm. He shook his head, managing an apologetic smile.

“Potions is my first class,” he told her, glad he didn’t actually have to lie about that part. “I’m really sorry, but I’m already on thin ice with Pym as it is. Maybe another time?” If he shook her off now, he could no doubt keep avoiding her and making excuses until she gave up. He was a pro at it by now. Besides, with any luck, she’d go back to her friends and gush about the amazing sex they had, not wanting to look like the one girl Bucky Barnes wouldn’t sleep with. So what if he was taking a leaf out of Tony’s pre-Bruce-and-Steve book?

“Oh, of course! Maybe we can go out next Hogsmeade weekend, or something,” the girl agreed, face brightening. Bucky shrugged, stepping away from her, watching as Natasha disappeared out of sight. 

“Yeah, whatever. I’ve got to go, goodnight!” Not even trying to look like he was heading back to the castle, he darted off towards the pitch, ignoring the girl he left stood by the lakebed. He honestly didn’t care if she told everyone he was a terrible person and abandoned her mid-date; it wouldn’t deter half the girls intent on sleeping with him, he knew.

Slowing down as he drew closer to the pitch, he tiptoed forward as silently as possible, getting closer to the spot where he’d lost sight of Natasha. He knew this area of the stands well; it was a popular spot for couples who didn’t want to be found, usually used only by quidditch players and their significant others; very few other people knew it existed. He wondered who Natasha could be meeting there, and why this was the first he’d heard of it. No one ever managed to keep secrets in their group, even those involving people outside the group. Peggy had tried to keep her boyfriend secret, and had lasted all of three days before Thor overheard something and told the rest of them. Then again, Natasha was a crazy Russian spy during her summer vacations. Secrecy was kind-of her thing. 

He edged close enough to hear a voice, but it was Natasha’s, and didn’t give away anything about her partner. “Sorry I’m late. My roommates stuck around for ages; I was sure they would never leave,” she was saying, and there was a quiet chuckle that definitely belonged to a female. That answered one question, then. 

At the unmistakable sound of kissing, Bucky’s heartbeat quickened; there was only one thing for it, he’d have to look and see. Whoever Natasha was with, she spoke quietly enough that Bucky couldn’t quite make out who it was. Edging closer to the support beam of the stand, he took a deep breath and slipped his phone from his pocket, turning it to camera and carefully holding it out to peer around the beam, tilting it until his screen showed Natasha’s face, up close to her mystery partner’s… which wasn’t so much of a mystery anymore.

Bucky’s jaw dropped at the sight of Maria Hill smiling softly at Natasha, one hand tangled in red tresses. She breathed something that made Natasha grin, and then they were kissing, leaning into one another with the air of people who had kissed a thousand times before, Natasha’s hand settling on Maria’s hip somewhere in the shadows. Instinctively, Bucky pressed down on the capture button, glad for the superior processor on his Starkphone that meant he didn’t need to use the flash. Pulling his phone back, he didn’t linger much longer; Natasha would actually castrate him if she caught him spying on her, and Hill would probably help. Barely breathing until he was a good distance from the pitch, he shook his head, chuckling to himself. “Tasha and Hill, huh?” he muttered under his breath, smiling wryly. “Who knew?” Glancing down at his phone, he brought the picture up, impressed at how well it had come out despite the dim lighting. That was… really, really hot, actually. “Damn.” Staring at it a little longer, he cursed when he saw the time; Peggy would kill him if he wasn’t back before curfew. He picked up his pace, shoving his phone back in his pocket, and made a mental note to ask Clint how long Tasha and Maria had been a thing.

.-.-.

Absently sharpening her knife with a smile on her face, Tasha leant back against the wall of one of ‘their’ hidden rooms. Back in first year, she and Clint had divided up all the hidden rooms they’d found, claiming some for themselves and leaving others as neutral territory for both of them. As far as the Slytherin was aware, Clint was the only other person to know that the room she was in even existed, so she was fairly comfortable she wouldn’t be caught off-guard. Having designated rooms allowed her to store her weapons safely in the school; the ones that wouldn’t fit nicely in her dorm room or on her person, that was.

She tensed at the sound of footsteps by the door, but quickly relaxed upon recognising the familiar cadence of Clint’s walk. Not looking up when the Hufflepuff entered, she wasn’t surprised when he unhooked his bow from his shoulder and moved to set up in front of the target at the other end of the room. He didn’t say anything, settling into a rhythm of loosing and firing arrows, and they reappeared in his quiver with a short command — Tony’s work. Glancing up briefly, Natasha frowned at the tension in her friend’s shoulders; something was bothering him. Still, she didn’t speak, trusting him to breach the subject with her when he was ready.

Tasha didn’t have to wait long, the click-thwip-thud rhythm of her friend’s arrows not slowing as he finally opened his mouth. “You could have told me, y’know?” Her brows furrowed; what the hell was he talking about? “I mean, I could understand not wanting the others know — I love them, but they’re kind-of nosy assholes — but… damn it, Nat, I’m your best friend. Best friends don’t keep these kinds of secrets, and to find out from _Bucky_ , God.”

“I really don’t know what you’re referring to,” she cut in diplomatically, making him snort, the sound bitter.

“Right. Of course you don’t. Because you’re keeping more than one huge secret from me, right?” His gaze moved to her, arrows still flying to form perfect rings around the tiny bullseye — hitting the bullseye itself was too mundane for Clint. The Slytherin winced at the hurt in her friend’s eyes, even as understanding dawned on her. 

“You know about Maria,” she said flatly, heart beginning to race. Shit! She’d thought she’d been okay, but if Bucky had found out… “How?”

“You weren’t the only one out getting a little nookie last night,” he informed her. “Buck was down by the lake with a girl he really didn’t wanna be with, saw you heading down to the pitch and followed you. Look.” Pausing in his shooting for a moment, he fished his phone out of his pocket, tapping something in and then tossing it to her. Natasha caught it easily, and visibly flinched at the picture filling the screen. How could she have been so careless that _Bucky Barnes_ could get a photo of her and Maria kissing?

“Shit, Clint. I wanted to tell you, I did!” she insisted hurriedly. “I just… didn’t know how.”

“Because ‘hey, Clint, I’m dating Maria Hill’ is clearly too complicated.” He laughed harshly, shaking his head as he resumed his archery. “Is it because I’ve been spending so much time with Phil lately?” he asked, voice quiet and hurt, like a child. “I know I keep blowing you off to hang out with him, and I’m sorry, I really am, but I thought we were okay.”

“We _are_ okay,” Natasha assured. “This isn’t your fault, Clint. It’s mine. It has nothing to do with you spending time with Phil, I swear. It’s just… secrets never stay secret in our group. Even if only one person knows, things still get out. Just look at what happened with Thor and Loki.” The Slytherin boy had told Darcy about the progress between them in confidence, and within the week everyone in their friendship group knew of the real reason Thor and Jane split, and the new relationship between the adoptive brothers. Loki still wasn’t talking to Darcy. “You said it yourself, our friends are nosy assholes. They’re crazy at the best of times, and… I didn’t want to introduce someone new until I was sure.”

“You didn’t have to introduce her!” Clint protested. “We all know who she is! It’s not like dating one of us is an automatic pass into our friendship group; hell, we hardly see Peggy’s boyfriend more than once a week!” Sighing, he recalled his arrows and shouldered his bow, moving to lean against the wall opposite Natasha. “So basically you didn’t trust me not to tell anyone. Thanks, Tasha. Appreciate that.” Natasha winced at the defeated tone of his voice, wishing she could reach out and squeeze his shoulder but knowing he’d only flinch away.

“It’s not that, not at all,” she murmured desperately. “Please, Clint, of course I trust you. But you can’t tell me that if I’d told you, you wouldn’t have encouraged me to tell the others. I can’t… I don’t want her to get close to my friends and end up with another Pepper situation, or Thor and Jane. As much as you say they didn’t affect our group, you know that’s a lie.”

“That’s different,” Clint retorted immediately. “In all those situations, both people were part of the group before they started dating. Even if Maria became BFFs with the others, we’d all still be on your side if you guys broke up because you were here first, and we love you.” He fiddled with his shoelace, gaze lowered to the floor, and Natasha bit her lip.

“I’m sorry. I was stupid, I… I wanted it to be just mine, just for a little while. Telling other people makes it real.”

“Are you not ready for it to be real yet?” Clint asked, looking up at her with a raised eyebrow. Tasha shrugged, thoughtful.

“I think I am, now. I wasn’t for a while, but I really like her. I think you would, too.” She paused, smiling briefly at him. “You didn’t really think I was pissed about you spending time with Phil, did you?” Clint’s lips pursed, his expression turning sheepish, and Natasha rolled her eyes. “You idiot, of course I don’t mind! He’s your boyfriend, I’d be worried if you spent more time with me than him. And I know it’ll only get worse next year with it being Phil’s last, but we’ll have the whole year after to hang out together and rule this school,” she added with a grin, making him smile back. Setting her knife down, Tasha got to her feet, tentatively edging across the room to stand beside Clint with her back to the wall, her shoulder pressing against his. “If I ever have a problem with how much time you spend with him, I’ll tell you. And I really am sorry.” Clint let out a long breath, and shifted his arm to curl around her shoulders, pulling her into a half-hug.

“It’s okay,” he assured her, and Natasha felt like a weight had lifted from her shoulders. Of all the things in the world that could happen, Clint being mad at her was the one thing she absolutely couldn’t stand. “And… y’know, Phil thinks Maria’s pretty cool. I’m sure if you brought her to the next movie night, he’d make her feel welcome. And she already knows quite a few of them from prefect stuff.” Maria was a shoe-in for Head Girl next year, and Natasha knew that she tried to keep a good relationship with each of her fellow prefects. Just… not the relationship she kept with Tasha.

“Yeah. Yeah, maybe,” she murmured as she rested her head against Clint’s chest, silently promising to bring it up to her sort-of girlfriend next time they were together. She wanted to be able to talk to her friends about her relationship. She wanted it to be _real_. Hopefully Maria would feel the same.


	15. Full Moon Rising

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the last member of the group finally making the animagus transformation, plans are made for the first moon as a group. Bruce, typically, worries.

They’d been waiting for a while now, but finally it was time. Though they wouldn’t all join Bruce every full moon, they had agreed that the first time, the first moon Bruce spent with his friends in animagus form, they would all be there. It was a little frustrating, especially for Steve and Tony who had been able to transform for a while and yet still had to watch Bruce go down to the shack alone every month, but he assured them he didn’t mind. Tony had given him the cure — a cure that was now one step away from being publicly mass-produced by Stark Industries — and it really did stop all his problems save the actual transformation itself. The only pain he had afterwards was the muscle ache from pacing all night, and the only discomfort was the boredom of being cooped up. Even tamed by potions, the wolf inside him was meant to run free; hopefully, with everyone with him to keep him in check, he would finally be able to grant that wish. Darcy had made her transformation, which meant that every single one of them could now comfortably maintain their animagus form.

They had all been together when the Hufflepuff girl had told them. Bursting into the middle of the Room of Requirement, she hadn’t said a word before closing her eyes and becoming a fox, gambolling proudly up to Bruce, who had beamed at her and scratched her ears. Immediately after she had transformed back, plans were made for the next moon, two and a half weeks away.

The two and a half weeks dragged by for Bruce, who couldn’t help but worry that something would go wrong and they would all end up in trouble. “Relax, babe,” Tony murmured when he voiced his thoughts, the night before the first moon night. “Everything’s going to be fine. All the beta tests on cured werewolves have shown them having no problems with control.” Bruce frowned up at his boyfriend, even as larger fingers — Steve’s fingers — ran through his hair soothingly.

“Yeah, but the beta test potions are far, far more advanced than the one you made me. I took the prototype, there might be some kinks in it,” he fretted.

“Bruce, even if your control isn’t solid, there are enough of us to keep you under control and get you back in the shack. Hell, Phil’s an elk, and Thor’s a bear. I know your wolf is huge, but they’re bigger. We’ve practiced for this, don’t worry. It’ll be fun,” Steve assured, his voice low and calming. It was true; the group had spent a lot of time down at the shack running through drills on what to do if Bruce went rogue wolf, usually using Steve or Rhodey as the ‘wolf’ as they were closest in size. 

“Anything that starts with ‘don’t worry, it’ll be fun’ tends to end in chaos around here,” Bruce retorted dubiously, making Tony snort and pull him into a kiss.

“No chaos this time, promise. Just think how awesome it’ll be to have people to run with all night. You’ll probably feel better for it, too; getting the exercise the wolf wants,” he reasoned. “Now calm down and let us cuddle you until we fall asleep, damn it. Steve has to be up early in the morning for the stupid NEWT selection thing,” he added with a mock-grumble, making the Gryffindor stifle a smile.

“I can’t skip out on it, Tony. They didn’t even let you do that,” he pointed out as the three of them settled down for sleep, Bruce in the middle for once. He usually stuck to the edge, with either Steve or Tony in the middle, but the other two boys had decided he needed the comfort. 

“I know, I know. But it’s so stupid; you already know what you’re picking,” Tony muttered, scowling faintly. Unlike most of his yearmates, Steve had a clear idea of the NEWTs he wanted to take; all the ones that would get him into the Auror Department. As much as he loved art… he liked the idea of helping people. 

“I thought you said we were going to sleep?” Bruce cut in, amused. Tony rolled his eyes at his fellow Ravenclaw, leaning in for a long kiss.

“We are. Goodnight gorgeous, I love you. Love you, blondie,” he added with a smile, turning his head to meet Steve’s lips over Bruce’s form, smirking at the pleased hum Bruce made at watching them kiss. 

“Mm, love you both,” Bruce murmured, after Steve had turned to kiss him. “And thanks for this. For everything, really.”

“Bruce, honeybear, we love you. All this stuff is kinda in the job description,” Tony pointed out. “Now go to sleep, you’ll need it.” Bruce sighed, turning to let his face tuck into Tony’s neck as Steve spooned him from behind, nose pressed to the juncture of Bruce’s neck and shoulder. Warm, sleepy and surrounded by comforting scents, Bruce fell asleep with the wolf practically purring in his mind, eager to finally run free the next night.

.-.-.

As per routine, Bruce went up to meet Healer McCoy in the hospital wing a little after dinner, kissing Steve and Tony goodbye and trying not to look too nervous. As far as McCoy was concerned, this moon was no different to any other.

They walked down to the shack together, McCoy freezing the tree long enough for Bruce to get to the tunnel, assuring the teen that he’d be back in the morning to pick him up. Bruce let out a long breath when he was finally alone, continuing down the familiar tunnel and into the shack, heading for the living room. It was battered and broken from his earlier days, but he hadn’t damaged anything since the cure. Glancing through the crack in the boards that showed him the sky, he swallowed convulsively as the sun set lower and lower. Despite knowing it wouldn’t hurt, knowing everything would be fine and he’d be in control… the sight of the sun setting on a full moon night still sent him almost into a panic attack. He shook his head firmly and tried to take deep breaths, moving away to start stripping off his clothes, leaving them with his wand in the warded box on the shelf. Naked, he moved to the blanket laid in the centre of the room, resting his hands on his knees and closing his eyes, feeling the pull of the moon grow stronger and stronger. He just hoped everything went okay.

.-.

Lurking in the shadows and watching Healer McCoy headed back up to the castle, the large group of teens shared nervous looks, huddled close to ward off the evening chill. “Now we wait?” Bucky asked, and Steve nodded. 

“Now we wait. Bruce said he’d howl when he’s ready,” he replied, even though all of them knew the plan. Leaning into Tony’s side, the blonde frowned in concern, eyes fixed on the whomping willow. At the end of that tunnel, their Bruce was getting ready for the exhausting transformation that, despite the cure, still wasn’t exactly a bed of roses.

“He’ll be okay,” Tony assured, squeezing his hand. “We’ll go in and see him soon.” They waited and waited, the nerves high amongst them, until eventually it was dark and the moon began to crest over the top of the Forbidden Forest. Steve held Tony tighter as he tried not to imagine Bruce’s body morphing and shifting, reminding himself like a mantra that it was painless now, and he wasn’t screaming. 

There was a long howl that echoed in the still night, and the group immediately jumped to their feet, getting to work. Pepper’s eyes fluttered shut, and the next moment there was a red squirrel where she had been standing, which bounded over to the whomping willow, ducking and dodging the flailing branches to get close enough to press the knot at the base, freezing it. “We’re up,” Tony murmured, tugging Steve forward. As the only two canines in the group, as well as scents Bruce’s wolf was intimately familiar with, they had been elected as the welcoming committee, so to speak. Steve nodded and sent his mind into the familiar state with which to access his animal form, smoothly dropping down onto four paws. Briefly snuffling Tony’s neck, he led the way to the tunnel under the willow, meeting Pepper’s wide brown eyes on his way through. 

The tunnel was dry and smelled like wolf and Bruce and McCoy and rabbits, and Steve had to ignore his animal instinct to start sniffing all over, sensing Tony trotting along behind him. It was a long tunnel, and they travelled it as quickly as possible, not wanting to keep Bruce waiting. He could tell when they were close, as the scent of wolf grew stronger, and sure enough they reached a door, which Bruce had left unlocked. Jumping up to get the handle with his paw, Steve nudged it open, stepping through and shifting aside to let Tony in behind him. He whined low in his throat at his boyfriend, and Tony let out a soft rumble, nosing him lightly in assurance. 

Letting the older boy go ahead, knowing that if there was anyone in the world Bruce’s wolf would recognise it would be Tony, Steve followed apprehensively, trying not to imagine worst-case scenarios. Bruce had told them he’d be in the living room, so the two of them padded up the stairs, following the scent of their lover’s wolf form. Steve’s heart was pounding, and he knew Bruce probably knew they were there by now; he’d probably known when they were out in the tunnel. 

Hearing a soft yip, Steve looked up, a doggy grin spreading across his lips when he and Tony froze in the doorway to see a familiar wolf stood in the middle of the room, excitement in his eyes and tail wagging frantically. He barked twice, their signal that yes, Bruce was in control, and Steve growled playfully back at him, edging forward. Tony had no such hesitation, taking a flying leap towards the much larger canine and barreling into his side, barely even shifting him. Bruce let out a bark that Steve knew to be a laugh, nudging at Tony’s head with his snout and licking at his ear. Tony glanced over to Steve, giving an impatient whine, and Steve bounded forward to join in the huddle, knocking Bruce to the floor and nuzzling his side playfully. The three of them wrestled lightly for a couple of minutes, before Steve remembered that the others would be waiting for them. 

Crawling out of the pile of fur and limbs, he barked quietly and jerked his head towards the door, giving a pointed growl. Tony actually _pouted_ , but got off of Bruce and nudged the wolf to his feet, bounding back and forth in a clear invitation to play. Bruce fixed the coyote with a fondly exasperated look, one ear twitching, and jerked his head to Steve to prompt him into leading the way back up to the tunnel. Relief and excitement flooding him now that they were sure Bruce reacted okay, Steve walked quickly through the tunnel, tail wagging and body just itching to run. He hadn’t been able to properly get out in animal form for a while, as they had been so busy with other things and it was hard to find a time where he wouldn’t be missed. With exams merely weeks away, he thought it would be good for all of them to get the chance to let off some steam and have some fun before knuckling down properly.

There was something oddly freeing about being in animal form; animals felt emotions differently, and it was like all of Steve’s little worries and problems just became completely insignificant. As far as his baser mind was concerned, he was getting to play with his friends, and that was awesome. 

His ears pricked as he caught the scent of fresh air, and all three of them picked up the pace. Bruce was practically vibrating with excitement, making Steve grin to himself; the wolf had never been outside before. He deserved it. Bounding up to the lip of the tunnel, he barked to warn the others they were coming, pausing briefly to give anyone who wasn’t transformed a chance to do so, then burst from the tunnel and onto the grass, heading away from the willow before it could reanimate. Bruce followed behind him with Tony bringing up the rear, and as soon as they were clear of the tree the wolf pounced on air, rolling in the grass and yipping happily when Tony tackled him again, the pair chasing tails and wrestling out in the open. Steve beamed, tongue lolling from his mouth, heart bursting with happiness at seeing his two lovers so happy and free. Maybe now Bruce could learn to love the wolf, like he and Tony hoped he would. 

Barking at the pair to grab their attention, he jerked his head toward the assortment of animals waiting several feet away, eyeing the pair in amusement. Tony definitely rolled his eyes as he and Bruce got to their feet, trotting over. With Steve and Tony either side of him in case anything went wrong, each of their friends moved forward in turn, allowing Bruce to sniff them so the wolf could match their scents with the human packmembers they were. The only one that was hard was Natasha, her form being so small, but she had spun a web between Phil’s antlers and seemed perfectly comfortable there, the elk ducking his head low so the wolf could scent out the spider. 

Tony bumped Bruce’s shoulder, giving him an inquiring look, and the wolf ducked his head briefly, letting out a soft whine to assure them he was still in control. Grinning, Tony gave a play-bow in challenge, then darted off into the forest, taunting Bruce into chasing after him. Steve huffed, sharing a long-suffering look with Peggy, and the pair of them bounded after the two canines, the pounding of several types of feet behind them assuring him that the others were following. They had planned for this, too, knowing that the wolf would want to run. In their game of chase, Tony would lead Bruce to a clearing in the forest they had scoped out, so the bigger animals amongst them could join in the chase and have somewhere to return to, and the smaller animals could hang out there and wait until they grew bored. 

He heard a screech overhead, and glanced up as he ran to see Clint and Bucky swooping and diving around each other, thoroughly enjoying themselves. Picking up his pace, Steve scented out Bruce and Tony a little way off to his left, veering off course to go chase after them and trusting everyone who wanted to go knew where the clearing was. He heard Peggy, Rhodey and Thor following him, and ran even faster, grinning at the satisfying burn of muscles he didn’t ordinarily use. Running as a dog was more of a workout than anything he could do as a human. 

He leapt over a fallen tree and used it to spring forward, landing on Bruce and sending them both sprawling to the floor, playfully mouthing at the wolf’s neck scruff in a gesture of victory. The wolf growled, no real danger in the sound, and flipped them until Steve was pinned underneath him. Recognising the look in the other canine’s eyes, Steve laid as still as he could and easily bared his neck in submission; if Bruce needed to be alpha wolf of their pack, that wasn’t a problem by him. He could feel Tony and the others watching them, but hoped they realised he wasn’t in any real danger as the wolf held its teeth over Steve’s shaggy throat, closing down only enough to put a slight pressure on without breaking the skin. Whining quietly to show his acceptance of the position, Steve waited, lips pulling in a grin when Bruce moved back to lick his muzzle instead, yipping happily. He clambered off Steve and nudged him impatiently to his feet, bouncing to start the chase once more. Tony barked, setting off into the trees, and together Steve and Bruce hared after him, the other three running along behind at a more sedate pace. Thor could probably take all of them out if he wanted to, but the gentle giant was happy to gambol along in his bear form, following his friends.

Eventually they reached the clearing, Bruce pouncing on Tony to drag him into another wrestling match, and Steve looked around to see what the rest of his friends were up to. Darcy, Jane, Volstagg and Hogun were quite happily having their own little game of chase, racing around each other with their tails tangling and long bodies squirming to evade the others. Pepper and Sif were watching from the sidelines, neither particularly wanting to get stepped on by the larger animals. Fandral was quite happily resting under a tree, and a closer look showed Natasha perched on his head. Fandral wasn’t really in the form to play about, so Tasha was safest with him. 

Clint and Bucky seemed to be attempting to build a nest in Phil’s antlers, the enormous elk indulging them with an amused expression on his face. Turning back to the group he’d arrived with, Steve barked out a laugh at seeing Tony perched on Thor’s broad shoulders, grinning triumphantly at Bruce, who seemed to be figuring out a way to get at the coyote without injuring the bear. Peggy and Rhodey had gone over to the shade of the tree to watch Darcy and the others, the fox clearly winning in their little game. Steve had no idea what time it was, but knew it was probably well into the night; they’d been running for a while now. 

Trotting forward, he nudged at Bruce to challenge him, jerking his head towards the forest trails once more. Bruce smirked competitively, and Steve shot off into the darkness, snorting to himself at the whine-thud that meant Tony was indignant at being ignored, and had probably just fallen off Thor in his attempt to join them. Running harder and trying to ignore all the interesting scents around him, Steve let himself relax into the chase, forgetting about everything and everyone outside of their pack. He could get used to this.

.-.-.

Eventually, the three of them grew tired, and Steve grew fed up of having to nudge Tony away from his back end — for the last time, damn it, he was not interested in having sex in animal form — and they rejoined their friends in the clearing. They all seemed to have reached a similar state of exhaustion, lounging around and occasionally batting halfheartedly at one another, not really interested in starting up another game. Rhodey’s head rose when he saw them, and Steve growled assuringly at him, the sound morphing into a yawn halfway through. A small nose nudged his left shoulder, and a much larger one nuzzled his right, Tony and Bruce both getting his attention. Obeying, Steve sprawled out on the ground and snuggled up close to Bruce, Tony curling in on the wolf’s other side. The others followed suit, forming smaller puppy-piles that dotted about the grass, Clint hopping up off Phil’s back from where he was grooming him and perching on an antler, tucking his head into his chest. The smaller animals all used Thor as a mattress, curling up in the soft fur until the bear was half-buried under a pile of animals. Fandral and Tasha were still under their tree, Peggy and Rhodey were lying together near the edge of the clearing, evidently poised to attack should they be stumbled upon by someone, and looking up Steve saw Bucky perched in a nearby tree, watching carefully. 

Confident that everyone was safe, Steve turned back to his own small puppy pile, eyes softening a little when he saw Bruce was doing the exact same thing; making sure each member of his pack was where he could see them. Tony whined at both of them, and Steve snuffed out a chuckle, eyes meeting Bruce’s fond ones. The wolf leaned in to lick his muzzle in gratitude, turning to do the same to Tony. Steve nuzzled and licked him back, cuddling as close as all three of them could, trying to express with actions what they couldn’t say in words. Like every other emotion in his animal form, Steve’s love for Bruce and Tony was simplified; it was so _easy_ , nothing in the world mattered except for the wolf and the coyote laying with him. In a few hours, they’d have to get Bruce back to the shack for the sun to rise, but for now it was nothing but them, their pack and the forest around them. Steve rather thought he could get used to full moon nights.


	16. Final Countdown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For once, the eldest year are the smug ones, as their younger friends prepare for their OWLs. Phil decides Clint needs a little private time to take his mind off things.

As much as they liked to pretend otherwise, none of them could avoid the inevitable fact that exams were rapidly approaching. The eldest of the group were hardly bothered with them — their exams were merely end-of-years, with no real impact to their actual NEWT grades — but the fifth years were regretting all times they had teased their older friends the year before about overreacting. Their OWLs were upon them, and none of them felt ready.

For the few weeks before exams, they all gathered to study in the Room of Requirement in just about any free time they had, using the group to encourage each other into continuing and quiz one another on subjects. They had a collection of notes from their older friends’ own OWL revision files — mostly thanks to Pepper, who was an absolute godsend to more than just Tony Stark — which made revising a lot easier, but there was still a lot to remember in a short space of time, and it was starting to drive them all insane.

.-.

Having long ago been banished from the Room of Requirement after being deemed ‘distracting’, the eldest and youngest of the group mostly hung out in Ravenclaw Tower for their own revision. None of the other Ravenclaws really minded, being far too absorbed in their own work, and Tony and Bruce offered the use of their dorm as a hangout since they clearly weren’t going to be having Steve in there. “Ugh, I’m so _bored_ ,” Tony whined, burying his face in Bruce’s shoulder. “I know all this stuff, I have known it since first year, why the hell do I need to study it?”

“Because you need to be reminded of what is actually on the curriculum,” Pepper pointed out for the hundredth time, rolling her eyes when Bruce’s fingers began carding through Tony’s hair. “And because you, unlike the rest of us, actually have real NEWT exams this year. There’s no way in hell I’d let you not study for those.” Tony was testing out of a couple of subjects in order to continue with his increased workload. Anyone else would have buckled long ago under the pressure, but, well, Tony Stark. 

“Come on, Pep; the reason I’m taking those exams early is because they’re ones I could do in my sleep,” Tony pointed out with a raised eyebrow, leaning into Bruce’s hand. “God, I hate exam time. Steve has been stressing like crazy.”

“Clint’s hardly been able to sleep,” Phil agreed, frowning slightly. “I swear we were never this bad last year.”

“Not that bad? Darcy repeated with a snort, amused. “You guys were way worse. Kept telling us all about how we couldn’t possibly understand because we’d not experienced real exams. It was a nightmare.”

“Oh, shut up, Lewis, it’s your turn next year. You too, Loki,” Tony added to the Slytherin, who was on the floor with his feet propped in Thor’s lap, a Charms book laying abandoned beside him.

“That won’t matter, will it?” he pointed out dryly. “When we have OWLs, you’ll all have NEWTs, so you’ll have far more on your plates than us.” Tony cursed under his breath; he hadn’t thought about that. 

“Merlin, don’t remind me,” Maria groaned, shaking her head. She’d slipped into their group fairly easily now it was exam time, commiserating with Phil, Peggy, Tony and Bruce about having their significant other lost to exam revision. Peggy’s boyfriend was in the year above, so was stressing over his NEWTs and graduation. “We still have to sort through all that.” She gestured to the stack of job pamphlets lying abandoned on the desk in the corner of the room, eyeing them with distaste.

“Don’t even start on that pile of crap,” Phil muttered with a frown. 

“It’s so ridiculous for Selvig to expect me to participate in the ‘life after Hogwarts’ preparation lectures. I mean, hell, I wonder what _Tony Stark_ could possibly be doing after graduation,” Tony said sarcastically. “Because clearly he couldn’t possibly be going to work at the business he is _already running_.” They all rolled their eyes at his words, having heard the same thing several times since the lectures were announced. “Hell, I don’t even know why they’re making Pepper go. Or Bruce and Jane.” Several eyebrows rose from that, and half the room turned to look at Jane in surprise.

“I thought you were going for a Charms mastery?” Peggy asked, and Jane shrugged, smiling slightly.

“The head of SI’s spellcrafting department has agreed to take me on as an apprentice, so Tony offered to pay me as a research assistant while I’m learning there,” she explained. “So the lectures are kinda a waste of time for me, too.” If they were honest, the lectures were a waste of time for all of them; they all knew exactly what they wanted to do after school, and it was just a matter of applying and getting accepted. Even financially, it wasn’t so much a problem, since Tony had offered his many guest rooms to any of them for as long as they might need. The plan was to move into Tony’s London home until they could all save up enough money for apartments of their own. Though Bruce would, of course, be moving in permanently. The only ones who wouldn’t be living with them would be Thor, Volstagg, Fandral and Hogun, who all had family homes or money of their own to buy a place. 

“Wow, that’s awesome,” Darcy said with a grin, holding out a fist for Jane to bump. “You go, girl!” Jane flushed as several others congratulated her, and Tony shot her a grin. 

“Regardless of your feelings on the lectures,” Peggy piped up. “And believe me, I know exactly how you feel. But you still need NEWTs, regardless of your plans, so you could at least attempt to look like you’re studying.” It was said mostly to Tony, but included the rest of the room, and there were mutters and grumbles as each of them got back to work, thinking longingly of the summer, so close they could almost taste freedom.

.-.-.

The Room of Requirement wasn’t quite so relaxed, though they were also ignoring a stack of pamphlets; the NEWT subject pamphlets, to be precise. They all had to turn in their class choices by the end of the week, and yet none of them had actually filled them out. Most of them knew what they wanted to take, but just hadn’t got around to it yet. They had time.

“Ugh, I think my brain is melting,” Clint declared, scowling at his Herbology textbook. “The hell do we need so many plants for, anyway?”

“Potions,” Rhodey pointed out, holding up his Potions textbook pointedly. “But damn, a few less of both would make my workload so much lighter.”

“Quit whining, it’s not that bad,” Tasha cut in, rolling her eyes at them both. “Merlin, Bruce’s handwriting is terrible. Steve, what does that say?” She held the notes she was reading over to the blonde, pointing out a word, and Steve squinted at it, used to his boyfriend’s indecipherable scrawl.

“I’m… not actually sure. It looks like it maybe says circumstance? I mean, I assume it’s not circum _cise_ , so…” Natasha snorted, taking the notes back.

“No, no, I’m not writing about circumcision. Thanks.” She moved to scrawl something down in her own notebook, and Bucky huffed.

“I cannot wait until these are over,” he mused wistfully. “Eight and a half weeks of sun and sleeping late and doing absolutely nothing at all.”

“Speak for yourself,” Clint retorted, smirking. “We’re not all lazy asses around here.” Bucky glared indignantly, and Steve couldn’t help but snicker at his friend.

“Oh, don’t you start, solider. You’re bringing Bruce and Tony home to your mom, you need me on your side,” Bucky reminded pointedly, making Steve gulp. He’d made the decision less than a week ago, and Bucky hadn’t shut up about it. It was making him nervous. His mom wouldn’t mind that much that he had two boyfriends instead of one, surely? She liked Bruce, and she loved Tony. It would be fine.

“Stop it, Bucky, you’re freaking him out,” Tasha scolded, kicking the Gryffindor in the leg. “It’ll be fine, Steve. No one could possibly doubt how much Bruce and Tony love you. Your mother will be happy for you.” Steve smiled at her, grateful, and she smiled back, tucking her hair behind her ear. 

“What are your plans for the summer, Sif?” Steve asked the other Gryffindor, who glanced up. “I know about everyone else, but I don’t think you said.”

“My plans are nothing special,” she replied, shrugging. “Home with my family, for the most part. I believe we’re going to Italy with Fandral and his family, so no doubt I shall enjoy watching him attempt to woo the locals. His Italian is terrible,” she added with a smirk. “But other than that, I shall just be relaxing.”

“You’ll have to come visit sometime,” Steve said with a half-smile. “You could come to New York, or come stay at Tony’s for a little while. Loads of people will be dropping in and out, it’ll be fun.” She grinned at him, nodding.

“I may well take you up on that offer,” she agreed. “Though I fear if we don’t concentrate on our work, I shall fail my OWLs, and then my parents shan’t let me go anywhere.” They all grimaced in unison, reaching for the material of whatever subject they happened to be studying. 

“Don’t forget, we gotta fill out the class sheets before tomorrow, we said we’d hand them in to Selvig next lesson,” Clint remembered, lifting his wand to summon a pamphlet instead of wandering over to get one. The back page was the actual application sheet, and he tore it off carefully, ticking several boxes. He was just going for the core NEWTs plus Care of Magical Creatures; if all went well, he’d be accepting a job at Stark Industries as a weapons tester straight out of Hogwarts, and possibly be going to join Natasha at the international agency her father ran. Apparently he had all the qualities of a good sniper and spy, except for the downfall of being unable to keep his mouth shut. He could work on that.

Slipping the completed form inside his Transfiguration textbook so he wouldn’t forget, Clint went back to his Herbology work while the others filled out their own forms as quickly as he had. Despite having two more years to go, they were all pretty clear on where they wanted to go. Barring Clint and Tasha, everyone in the room was aspiring to join the Auror department, or the DMLE in some form. Clint had thought about it, but decided to pass; he wasn’t great at teamwork, or trusting people. 

When he reached the end of the chapter section in his book, Clint glanced at his watch and groaned softly to himself. “I think I’m gonna drag Phil out of Ravenclaw and get an early night,” he announced, shutting his book. “There’s no way in hell I’m awake enough to actually remember anything I read now.”

“That sounds like an excellent idea,” Tasha agreed. “Give me a minute, I’ll tag along and grab Maria.” Clint looked up at Steve, who was already packing away his books.

“I’m staying in Ravenclaw tonight anyway, I’ll come with you,” he confirmed, making Clint smirk. He didn’t think there was a day anymore where Steve _wasn’t_ staying in Ravenclaw. Graduation was going to tear him to pieces, same as it would Clint. But they had a while to think about that yet. 

“Well if you guys are giving up, there’s no way I’m staying here,” Bucky declared, letting his notes drop to his lap. “Sif, you calling it a night too?”

“I probably should,” she agreed. “We can walk up together.”

“Oh thank God, I can stop,” Rhodey groaned in relief, head falling to the table. “I will be so glad when I can finally drop History of Magic.” He got several emphatic nods of agreement from his friends; none of them were continuing the subject.

With all their books and notes back in their bags, the group said goodnight and went their separate ways, Clint walking with Steve and Natasha up to Ravenclaw to fetch their significant others. “I bet they’ve hardly done any work, smug bastards,” the Hufflepuff muttered, frowning faintly. 

“We were just as smug to them last year, don’t deny it. And we can be the smug ones again next year,” Steve pointed out lightly. “When even Darcy and Loki will have important exams.”

“Merlin, yeah, they’ll be in our positions, won’t they,” Clint mused, shaking his head. “God, it sucks to be Thor and Loki. Waiting one year without Phil is bad enough, but to wait two? I don’t think I could stand it.”

“You think they’ll last the two years?” Natasha asked, making the archer snort.

“After all the trouble it took to get them together? They’re endgame, Nat. They wouldn’t be risking it if they weren’t.” All of them knew how bad Thor would have it from his father when he got home and his parents found out about him and Loki. Their plan was to keep it secret until Thor could move out and live in the family’s London home, but plans rarely worked around them.

“Yeah, you’re right. Those two are in it for the long haul, for sure,” Steve agreed, pausing outside the Ravenclaw statue. Tasha was the first one to answer the riddle, and the three of them headed inside, no one in Ravenclaw even blinking at the three walking in without an escort. Really, house passwords were just a formality now. 

“They’re up in the dorm,” one of the Ravenclaw boys in their year called to them, not even looking up from his books. Murmuring their thanks, the three made for the stairs up to the boys’ dorms, knocking on Bruce and Tony’s. 

“It’s just us,” Clint said as he pushed the door open, offering a smile to Phil. “We gave up for the night, so I was hoping I might be able to persuade you to call it an early night.” He slunk over, draping an arm across his boyfriend’s shoulders and leaning in for a kiss.

“Persuade me, huh? I’m sure you could give it a try,” Phil drawled in return, smirking. “Where are the others?”

“Went back to their dorms. Tasha and I came to get you and Maria, and, well, Steve basically lives here now.” Steve didn’t even blush, too busy kissing Tony hello, and Clint merely rolled his eyes. “So what do you say? Bed?”

“Sounds wonderful,” Phil agreed, a glint in his eyes that confirmed to Clint that they’d be doing far more than just sleeping. “Let me just finish up here.” Clint propped his chin on Phil’s shoulder as the older boy finished his paragraph, looking up at the assembled group and smirking at Natasha twisting Maria’s hair around her fingers while the brunette worked. 

“How’s it been going for you guys, anyway?” he asked curiously.

“Not particularly successfully,” Pepper admitted, grimacing faintly. “But I think we’re all good for the subject matter. And they’re not important exams.”

“Yeah, yeah, rub it in,” he teased, rolling his eyes. Phil set down his quill and Clint kissed his cheek, grinning. “All right! Let’s get out of here.” Phil snorted, shoving his books haphazardly back into his bag. “We’ll see you guys in the morning.” By the looks of Steve, Tony and Bruce, the others would be getting kicked out fairly soon, so Clint dragged Phil to his feet and towards the door, twining their fingers together. Heading out of the Ravenclaw common room, Clint leaned into his boyfriend’s side, shoulders slumped wearily. “Just two weeks,” he murmured. “Two weeks and exams are over, then another week of slacking off before we’re free.”

“I can’t wait,” Phil replied with a smile. Phil would be spending at least part of the summer at the circus with Clint, somewhere he’d never been before. It was a huge step in their relationship, and they both pretended not to be nervous about it. “You okay?” His brow furrowed in concern, and Clint offered a smile.

“Yeah, just tired. It’s been a long few weeks. I haven’t studied so hard since the time I was trying to impress you,” he added, making Phil grin at the memory, leaning in to kiss him.

“You’re smart, Clint. You’ll do just fine,” he assured confidently. “Now come on, how about I take you back to the dorm and help you relax.” Clint smirked slowly, arm winding around Phil’s waist to kiss him deeper. 

“I like the sound of that.” They walked together, taking several shortcuts, and Phil was relieved to see that his dorm room was empty. Locking it — everyone was used to it by now, they’d make adjustments — he nudged Clint towards the bed, urging him to take off his shoes. 

“Stay there just a second.” He kneeled beside his trunk, reaching in for a little paper bag, and Clint peered over curiously. 

“Massage oil?” the archer asked with raised eyebrows as Phil took the little bottle out of the bag.

“Yup. Strip down and lay on your front,” Phil urged, tapping the bottle with his wand to warm it up some. As Clint did as asked, Phil conjured a towel to lay over his bedsheets so they didn’t make a mess, the undressed until he was just in boxers. Clint trailed a hand down Phil’s lithely muscled chest, and the older teen leant into it for just a moment, before directing Clint to the bed. He had to swallow tightly at the sight of his naked boyfriend all laid out for him; as much as he liked to pretend the massage was innocent, there was no way in hell it would end without some sort of mutual orgasm. “Comfortable?” Clint nodded, pulling the pillow closer to rest his head on it, and Phil trailed a hand down his back, unable to help himself. Kneeling on the edge of the bed, he reached for the oil and poured some into his hand, rubbing them together and getting to work. 

Clint groaned lowly as soon as Phil began working on his tense shoulders, the sound going straight to the older boy’s cock. “Damn, Phil. Always forget how good you are at these.” Phil didn’t give massages very often, and it was the first time he’d given Clint a full-body one, but it was a special occasion. 

“Just relax, Clint. You need it,” he urged softly, letting his fingers work the tight knots in his boyfriend’s muscles. The angle was a little hard to work from, so Phil shuffled over to straddle the curve of Clint’s bare ass, trying not to let it affect him too much.

“You happy to see me, baby?” Clint murmured smugly, pushing back a little into Phil’s erection.

“Always,” Phil replied with a grin, not even protesting the nickname. It was starting to grow on him a little. He kept working lower and lower until eventually he moved back to kneel beside his boyfriend and work on his legs, starting at the feet and working upwards.

“Oh, you tease,” Clint muttered when Phil completely ignored his ass, shifting so his arousal wasn’t pressing uncomfortably into the mattress.

“All in good time,” Phil assured, grin widening. Clint’s flesh shuddered under his touch when he reached the sensitive skin of his inner thighs, and Phil smirked to himself, pressing harder, still ignoring all the spots Clint desperately wanted him to touch. Finally he let his hands grasp the firm globes of Clint’s ass, massaging the muscles, which were tense from trying not to rut against the bed. 

“Merlin, you’re killing me here,” Clint whined. Phil finally gave in, patting his boyfriend gently on the leg and moving aside.

“Roll over,” he urged, chuckling when Clint nearly flung himself off the bed in an effort to comply. He was painfully hard, and Phil got more massage oil on his hands, starting at the top of Clint’s chest. Clint leaned up to sneak the smallest kiss, and Phil smiled into it, giving up on the massage completely in order to run his hands right down Clint’s chest and stomach to grab his cock, leaving a trail of oil in his wake. 

“Yes!” Clint hissed, arching up into the touch, eyes squeezing shut. Phil smirked, shifting to straddle his lap once more, whipping off his own boxers in the process and bringing the other Hufflepuff into a heated kiss. One day he might actually be able to give Clint a massage and actually finish it, but until then, he enjoyed the attempts.


End file.
